Hoad Eases WI load

Adelaide-Barbadian Joe Hoad's assignment with the West Indies cricket team is the latest addition to his long and impressive career register.

It is also particularly appropriate as it re-establishes a link with West Indies first forged by his late father, E.L.G "Teddy" Hoad, a solid opening batsman who was captain in the first home Test against England at Kensington Oval in 1930 and who toured England in 1923, 1928 and 1933.

Joe Hoad, 64, was engaged by team manager Ricky Skerritt last week to provide the motivational help twice called for by captain Jimmy Adams after the heavy losses to Australia in the first and second Tests.

Hoad, who qualified as sports psychologist two years ago after a three-year course with the Adelaide Department of Sports Science, was Barbados and Caribbean table-tennis champion in the 1960s, a leading darts player and club cricketer for Pickwick and Carlton before emigrating to Australia in 1974.

He and his wife were following the move made by his father-in-law, the wellknown businessman and local government politician E.E.Mayers, and other members of the family.

He started as cricket and table-tennis coach/player for Flinders University, a job his old friend, Sir Garry Sobers, was instrumental in obtaining for him.

In the intervening 26 years, Hoad has coached cricket and tennis at several leading clubs in Adelaide, spent two years in north Queensland on a similar contract, captained the South Australia darts team and lived among several Aborigine tribes for several years as a community worker before returning to Adelaide in 1988.

In that time, he assimilated into the various tribes, learning their culture, their language and their art.

They called him "Cunji (Red) Man", for the colour of his skin and the dust that covered him and is a constant part of life in the vast Australian deserts, and initiated him as one of their elders.

Once in Adelaide, Hoad has rarely missed a net session at the Adelaide Oval with successive West Indies teams but he was there yesterday in an official capacity, helping to relax and motivate the players on the eve of the vital third Test.

Recently, Hoad was named Coach of the Year.

He was in charge of the Australian table-tennis team at the recent Paralympics in Sydney, and at the end, he was awarded the Australia Medal for his contribution to coaching.

Along with 400 metres Olympic champion Cathy Freeman, gold medal swimmer Ian Thorpe and swimming team coach Don Talbert, he was honoured with his face on an Australian postage stamp.

"I"ve had a varied and very interesting life in Australia and I've enjoyed every moment of it," Hoad said.

His latest challenge could be his greatest-getting a team beaten in 15 of its last 17 overseas Tests to overcome its lack of confidence and play to its full potential.

"This West Indies team does not have the talent of former West Indies teams but there is some potential there and, if we can get some positive thoughts going, I think the possibility of developing these kids is there," he said.

"They've got two very good coaches and the manager is very efficient in his job," he added. "It's just a matter now of the whole of the West Indies getting behind this team and, instead of all the negative reports, concentrate on the positives, and there have been some positives."

Hoad realistically acknowledged that it would be difficult to beat Australia at present, but said it was not out of the question.

"Australia are a good team but they're not that good," he said. "They're a good, strong, fit unit who love themselves and play hard cricket, but they're not unbeatable."

Hoad set the targets of 300 in the first innings and 250 in the second as totals that could bring victory.

"But it's not going to happen if our players don't believe they can do it , set realistic plans, stick to those plans and listen to the coaches," he said.

"They've got to say it's there for us (to take) and let us get it mentally and physically right."

Hoad was concerned whether "some members of this team are fit enough to be international cricketers".

"Their strength levels are pretty good but cricket these days is hard work unless you're extremely fit.

"There are very long periods you have to concentrate and as soon as physical fitness leaves you, mental fitness leaves you as well.

"Ninety per cent of cricket is application, which comes from concentration," he added.

Two days after Hoad joined the team in Hobart last weekend, Brian Lara rattled off his 231, painful hamstring, shoulder and all, and Ridley Jacobs got his 131 in a record stand of 365.

Even Hoad couldn't claim that was nothing more than happy coincidence.

The proof of the particular pudding he is dishing out to the players can only be tested when the series ends in Sydney early next month and he goes back to one of his several occupations.