PSL 11: Luke Ronchi Discusses Coaching Approach Compared to Mike Hesson

Islamabad United head coach Luke Ronchi shared his views on coaching comparison’s with Mike Hesson. He said the perception that his coaching style is similar to Hesson is wrong, as he likes to do various things differently.

“I have a different vibe to Mike Hesson. That's just through our own experiences. That's the way cricket is. That's what I like about the game now. It's people's different experiences. It'd be quite a boring game if everyone did it the exact same way all the time.” said Islamabad United head coach Luke Ronch.

“My remit is [not to re-implement what Hesson has done but] to bring my own personal character. When you look at where Hess has been and where I've been as well, I can understand that comparison. But still we're different personalities, we think differently about the game, and we also have paths we're all on, but it's doing it differently. So it may look like that, but it's not quite the same.” added Luke Ronch.

Looking back at his shift from player to coach, Ronchi said he got into helping players while he was still part of New Zealand’s international side, often stepping in to support teammates when needed.

"It's something like I did for a while with the New Zealand team. Whenever I was on Test tours, I was a back-up player, so I was helping players out then anyway. Throwing balls and talking about cricket, their game plans and all that sort of thing." said Luke Ronch.

"And then once I'd finished international cricket, I got into the franchise system. I wasn't so worried about my own cricket, it was like helping others and growing the game around different teams I've been to. I had a few experiences involved within that which made me like the coaching direction things were going in," added Luke Ronch.

Ronchi then described the growth of Shadab Khan, saying he has become a much better player by improving in different departments of the game.

"There are going to be natural progressions of what happens in organizations. I finished it in 2020, so now it's effectively six seasons later. So it is a big change. Shadab may still be there but it's also the growth of everyone. Shaddy has grown from the cricketer he was then to what he is now. The squad is very different, which it's going to be; that's the nature of franchise cricket, but also the nature of the PSL this year with new teams.” said Luke Ronch.