Former Windies coach goes hi-tech during pandemic

With the sporting world on a virtual lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, coaches and athletes have been utilising different methods to hone their craft.

One such coach who has been proactive during the lay-of, is former West Indies batting coach Toby Radford, who has gone global to help cricketers stay focused during the global crisis.

Radford, who helped the region's Test batsmen for approximately eight years, has launched a unique "one-to-one online coaching programme" to ensure that players are ready when the game is resumed.

The Welshman, who has worked with Jamaican batsman Rovman Powell and Nkrumah Bonner to name a few, has formulated the online platform that allows players from around the world to upload and send in a video to his website, tobyradfordcricketcoaching.co.uk, after which the former Glamorgan coach then studies the footage and then quickly offers feedback to correct their technical faults.

Tactical analysis

The 48-year-old Radford, who was part of the coaching staff that won the T20 World Cup with the West Indies in 2012 said: "It's taken off straight away, and I'm delighted to be able to offer batsmen of all abilities, and from anywhere in the world, the same technical and tactical analysis that I've been giving to international batsmen for many years.

"With international lockdowns currently preventing team practices and get-togethers, now is the perfect time for batsmen to put their game in top order for when the season begins," he shared.

West Indies captain, Jason Holder, was one of the first to congratulate Radford by email on what he described as a "great idea that will help batsmen all around the world".

"Toby is very strong at spotting technical faults and quick to come up with solutions to put them right," said Holder. "He has helped me a lot with my batting and used techniques to instil more confidence in me."

Radford's technical knowledge played a major part in West Indies beating England at Headingley in 2018 and again in the Caribbean in 2019.