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South Africa in India 2007-08

Upton's India role worries Arthur

Ajay S Shankar

March 8, 2008

	Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, hopes the forthcoming Test series would be "tough and uncompromising but played in the right spirit" © Getty Images

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, says he is "worried" about the addition of Paddy Upton to Gary Kirsten's coaching staff for India's home series against South Africa, since the mental-conditioning specialist possesses inside knowledge on his key players.

Arthur hoped Kirsten, the retired South Africa opener and the team's former batting consultant, would do well as India's new coach "except against South Africa", but suggested that he was not so sure about Upton.

"I am worried about Paddy Upton," Arthur told Cricinfo. "I hope that he will respect the confidentiality of his relationship with the players, which is similar to a doctor-patient relationship because he has worked on the mental approach of most of our top six."

Kirsten took over as India coach on March 1 and recommended Upton to the BCCI, which is finalising the paperwork for a full-time contract.

Upton, closely associated with Kirsten's academy in Cape Town, has worked with most of the current South Africa players, including Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. He was also South Africa's biokineticist and fitness trainer in the mid-to-late 1990s, and a fitness trainer with the team from 1994 to 1998.

"Gary is a genuine cricket man and I wish him all the best except against South Africa," Arthur said. "Coaches analyse their opponents anyway so I not worried about his intimate technical knowledge of our players."

Arthur is currently in Bangladesh with his team for a two-Test series and three one-dayers. South Africa is expected to reach Chennai a few days after their Bangladesh tour ends on March 14, for the first of their three Tests against India.

Asked to assess India's performance during the recent Australia series, Arthur felt they had played particularly well. "They put pressure on Australia and seem to have developed a ruthless streak," he said. Arthur, however, hoped that unlike in Australia, the forthcoming Test series would be "tough and uncompromising but played in the right spirit".

On the Indian Premier League, which follows the India series, Arthur said that while it was good for cricket, "there must be a window period for it in the international schedule."

Ajay Shankar is deputy editor of Cricinfo in Bangalore

© Cricinfo