Bayliss Ready To Give Australia Some ... Curry

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday October 15, 2007

Alex Brown

It's a long way from the SCG to Colombo, but Sri Lanka's coach, Trevor Bayliss, is enjoying the challenges of his new job, reports Alex Brown.

Tom Moody at least had an inkling, having toured the region with the Australian Test and one-day squads. But Trevor Bayliss? For him, accepting the Sri Lankan coaching job was like taking the keys to a new house, with no knowledge of the location, floorplan or inhabitants.

As a player, Bayliss was in the close-but-no-cigar league, scoring heavily on occasion for NSW but never with the consistency to warrant an international tour. As a coach with the Blues, he had ventured as far as India, but only for a pre-season tour.

But international coaching assignments don't come around every day, so when the Sri Lankans came knocking in the off-season, Bayliss turned in his badge and service baggy blue and accepted with little hesitation. The decision capped a head-spinning chain of events for the 44-year-old, beginning with an offer from Cricket Australia to coach at the Centre of Excellence, an approach from Bangladesh and, finally, a whirlwind visit to Colombo for an interview. His first international assignment had begun - in a country he barely knew.

In the next fortnight, Bayliss will return to Australia with the Sri Lankan squad to commence a two-Test series against the very side he helped build. That, in itself, will feel odd for the Goulburn-born coach, but not nearly as unusual as his early experiences living on the subcontinent.

"It has been difficult getting used to other parts of life here," Bayliss said from Colombo. "The traffic, the smog, the food. It's all very new to me. I still can't shake the feeling at dinner time, 'Is this the meal that'll do me in?'. As any of my old teammates will tell you, I love a good steak and potatoes, but now it's getting used to the hot curries.

"I have a newfound respect for the blokes over here, with the facilities they have to work with. Australians really don't know how good they've got it. But our guys get on the job with no complaints and, as we've all seen over the years, have done a tremendous job despite the massive challenges they face."

Not least politics. This week, a senior government minister paraded before the media vowing to overturn the decision of selectors and reinstate Marvan Atapattu to the touring squad to Australia. Hardly ideal, but with a strong captain in Mahela Jayawardene, Bayliss is confident of a good showing this summer.

"Is it perfect? Probably not. But at the moment, I'm just learning about the system here," Bayliss said. "Over time, I will let the board know if I have any ideas about how to improve things. But, right now, I'm a guest.

"I'm pretty hopeful it won't have a major impact. We have a captain in Mahela who I would put right up there with the Waughs and Mark Taylor as far as leaders go. The influence he has on his players is as great as anyone I've seen in the game. He has the complete respect of the players, and I've found him to be a quality bloke.

"Everyone's excited about Australia. For me, it will be strange to be on the opposite side of the fence hoping you can beat Australia, having been involved with them for so long. But that's just the nature of the game these days, and I can't wait to be involved in my first Test match in this position."

Having rested Muttiah Muralitharan (biceps) throughout Sri Lanka's one-day series against England, Bayliss is confident his strike weapon will be at full fitness for the tour of Australia.

"He's obviously crucial to us, and we're just trying to make sure he's 100 per cent," Bayliss said. "Between him, Mahela and some of the veteran players, they have a very good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the Australian players. I might be able to give a little bit more insight in terms of some of the guys I've coached, but for the most part, I think they're in a really good position as it is."

From Australian cricket employee to adversary, Bayliss' journey has been, to say the least, dizzying.

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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