Try talking to all or any of them, and the man through whom your request is to be routed is Graeme Vimpani, the Australian media manager. His is the only voice you will hear on days when the Aussies choose to stay quiet; though the chirpy Andrew Symonds can be trusted to breach any silence.

That’s a formidable 11 of backroom blokes, and they all chip in when the playing XI hit the turf after a game—helping Gilchrist stretch here or loosen up McGrath’s limbs there. Yes, it’s a far cry from when cricket teams would travel with one coach, a manager and perhaps an all-purpose quack, prefixed Dr. And to think, Errol Alcott was throw-down partner, masseuse, trainer, sport-psychologist and honest buddy all rolled into one in his 22-year illustrious stint with the Australians.

England have brought in a dozen, including Dr Peter Gregory, entrusted with the onerous task of keeping England’s pack of bowlers with their notorious niggles, fit. More so, preserve them with the Ashes to follow, though Gregory is due to retire before that marquee series, as his contract expires. The Indians, of course, have five, not counting coach Greg Chappell while the South Africans have at least 10 on the support squad list at the Champions Trophy. Then there are the Kiwis with their five, complaining of shortage of this hidden manpower owing to a financial crunch.

No such worries for Australia who replaced a legend in Errol Alcott with the high-profile Alex Kontouris. “Alcott did great work and it was surely a tough assignment that I was about to take up. But there was confidence and the fact that I had been working with another champion team (Sri Lanka),’’ he says, adding, “When I moved over, I immediately found one common aspect in both of them (Australia and Sri Lanka). Both were hungry for success. To be fair, the Australians were a notch above when it came to professionals but again, the important thing was both these teams were desperately looking for success all the time.’’

... contd.