Robin Singh doesn’t mind getting his clothes dirty. Be it sliding to stop runs or diving to pluck a catch, he had given ample proof of it during his playing days. Now in his role as fielding coach, the former all-rounder seems to have rubbed it off on Team India as well. In an interview to The Indian Express, Robin talks about his journey, association with the team and how the art of fielding has evolved since his playing days. Excerpts:

India have been doing quite well in the field of late. What was the key to it?

• The Indian team have improved a lot in the department. The focus was on individuals; I looked at a player’s abilities and identified which positions he was comfortable, or not comfortable, in. Then the process was initiated. It involved a lot of basics but also intensity in the sessions. Most of the drills were match-specific, like a player hitting the stumps, and then there were different clauses or obstacles added to it to keep him interested.

Also, I tried not to force it on the players. But once they were ready, I demanded a 200% effort. I would rather have 5 minutes of committed training rather than 20 minutes of loitering around in the field. I always insist on quality training rather than quantity training.

Has the bar in fielding risen since your playing days?

• Cricket has changed a lot and it’s more exacting on the fielders nowadays. There’s T20 that has gained momentum and batsmen world over are playing more innovative shots. There’s no position for a poor fielder to hide and the agility and alertness required are very high compared to earlier days. Also every player needs to learn to field everywhere because the need of the hour is to be an all-round fielder. Of course, there’s scope for specialists who are good at a particular position but they need to work on other aspects of their fielding as well.

... contd.