Acceleration, says Chris Donaldson, is a potential game changer in cricket. And lest you begin to think you’re dealing with an Olympic sprinter shifting the conversation into his area of strength, Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) new strength and conditioning coach offers an explanation.
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“From fielding, to diving to chasing the ball to the limit, to running that run, all of these things contribute an important part to the game. You can make a big difference in the first two meters of how you accelerate. It’s something we work hard on, ”says the 45-year-old New Zealander from the KKR base in Abu Dhabi.
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Donaldson hopes his dominance experience will also enhance KKR’s run between the grounds and bowling races, particularly important to the Kolkata team given their deep strength in fast bowling.
“It is not about changing everything because people here are very good at what they do. (But) Track and Field deals with all kinds of movement patterns, the fundamentals of the way people move and jump. I hope I can use some of the skills that I have learned and developed and help people deal with their career problems. (For bowlers) It could help from a movement point of view, make the run more efficient or look at the biomechanics of the way they are landing, ”he says.
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Having worked at High Performance Sport New Zealand, an institute specializing in sports science and technology, before moving to New Zealand Cricket, Donaldson is more than just running.
“He has a great set of exercises,” says young fast bowler Shivam Mavi. “One look and it can tell you that this area is strong and needs to be worked on,” says Kamlesh Nagarkoti who, like Mavi, has had long periods of absence due to injuries.
An IPL franchise that hires an Olympian is the first time, but KKR has made appointments in left field in the past. Rudi Webster, an eminent sports psychologist and former first-class cricketer, was hired as a mental skills coach in 2012 when KKR took its first title. Mike Horn, the South African-born Swiss adventurer, has been with the team on and off since 2014, when KKR won again. After Brendon McCullum was named head coach, he called in Donaldson, with whom he had worked as New Zealand captain en route to finishing runner-up at the 2015 World Cup.
“He (McCullum) asked if he would be interested. You don’t miss out on that kind of opportunity and I know how lucky I am to be here, ”says Donaldson.
Then Covid-19 happened and Donaldson had to “think outside the box.” Cue, linking the team in Zoom calls through “bedroom workouts” that provided “sessions for kids that they could create and do in their hotel rooms or at home.”
“The sessions were designed to push them so that when we got out of the lockdown, hopefully, we didn’t need to catch up too much. Plus, it gave them something to do every day, ”says Donaldson.
“There have been some incredible workouts. They are difficult, and if you haven’t exercised in a while, you can’t. Body aches for a couple of days. But it’s amazing and very, very helpful for all children at this time to stay home, ”KKR mentor Abhishek Nayar said on kkr.in about the Donaldson regime.
Based on that basis, Donaldson says the players were required to go “pretty hard at the end of the run.” Arriving in the UAE, “we loaded them a lot trying to make them cricket tough and physically tough so we can reduce the lead into the tournament…. Sometimes I have to hold them back because they try to do too much. “
The KKR opens against defending champions the Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi on September 23. Donaldson says it is “unbelievable” that there are no games in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai. “It will definitely help with recovery and prevent fatigue from creeping in.”
Son of famed filmmaker Roger Donaldson, the KKR coach says he had no stories to share about life in Los Angeles simply because he had a regular education in New Zealand. “I would have the opportunity to experience something different when I went there. It was always a lot of fun, but it certainly didn’t lead to parties in Hollywood. “
Roger’s films include ‘Cocktail’ starring Tom Cruise, ‘No Way Out’ and ‘Thirteen Days’ with Kevin Costner and Dante’s Peak with Pierce Brosnan. His first feature film, ‘Sleeping Dogs’ had Sam Neill. He earned a 1984 Cannes Palme d’Or nomination for ‘The Bounty’ (starring Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson).
His son’s rendezvous with fame came through athletics and one of his exploits has aged well. Along with Dallas Roberts, David Falealili and James Dolphin, Donaldson created a New Zealand national record in the 4×100 relay; his time of 38.99 set in November 2005 still stands. Donaldson also participated in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, the 1998 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. He finished seventh in the 100 and 200 meters in 1998.
“Those races were the highlight for me. (Ato Boldon won the 100 meters). And the world championship in Greece (1997) where I reached the semifinals in 200 meters running alongside the people you idolized and watched on television, ”he says.
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