Patwal, man behind Simon Harmer 2.0, wants to see him bowl in IPL too

The stars finally aligned after a long wait for Simon Harmer, one of the main architects of South Africa’s remarkable 2-0 Test series sweep against India, a result which has kicked off serious introspection within Indian cricket. At 36, the Player of the Series knows the virtues of patience and persistence only too well — and the Indian hand behind his resurgence feels the off spinner’s talent can be tapped in a different avatar as well.

The mobile phone of Umesh Patwal, a professional coach in Mumbai with whom Harmer had been quietly working for the past decade, has not stopped ringing ever since one of his more celebrated wards captured the imagination of Indian fans with a 17-wicket haul in just two Tests. The last one, in which Harmer returned figures of 23-6-37-6 in Guwahati, saw India collapse to 140 all out while the delivery which had a class act like K.L. Rahul groping for it before being bowled is still being discussed with awe.

‘’A coach shouldn’t identify someone as a favourite pupil, but he has been one of the most dedicated characters I have ever seen,’’ Patwal said from Mumbai. ‘’He still has about five years of cricket left in him and I think some of the IPL teams can think about using him in the powerplays — he did it for Blasters when Essex won the T20 and is a decent batter too.’’

It was during the Eden Test in Kolkata that Harmer first referred to the behind-the-scenes role of Patwal in shaping Simon Harmer 2.0 after his decision to take up a Kolpak contract following a misadventure in international cricket in 2015.

Speaking to National Herald on the phone, Patwal said: ‘’Our association started with a one-to-one 10-day camp in Mumbai in 2016. Long before that, he couldn’t make it to a South African spinners’ camp in 2012 as he was then touring Zimbabwe. However, he must have got feedback from their spin bowling consultant Nicky Boje, and was keen to work with me.

‘’Then in 2017, he called me to Abu Dhabi where Essex was having a pre-season camp, and we worked together for 10 days even as his entire team was training separately. Similar sessions continued for the next two years before Covid came,’’ remarked Patwal, currently associated with the Assam under-23 team as coach.

A pragmatic character bred on the demanding cricket ecosystem of Mumbai, Patwal said providence played its part in his role becoming public. ‘’See, if South Africa had not won the first Test or he was not the Player of the Series, his success story wouldn’t have been blown up like this. I realised he could be a matchwinner and made him unlearn a few things along the way,’’ the coach reflected.

Breaking down his ward’s craft, Patwal said: ‘’He now understands the use of the thumb more than before because that’s the base — be it top spin, swing bowling, everything. If you know how to use the thumb, you can bowl variations without any perceptible change of action. If you use the thumb lighter, it becomes a floater but if you will hold it tighter, it will go in with the arm as an off-spinner’s stock delivery.

‘’For example, a lot of people are saying that the delivery which got K.L. Rahul in the second innings in Guwahati was a dream one, but it was only his stock normal delivery.’’

Asked how much of a role the preceding tour of Pakistan played in helping the South African spinners in India, Patwal felt it had certainly benefitted them. ‘’Every bowler gets into a certain mode with a tour like that. If you remember, the Kiwis had come via Sri Lanka last year when they swept us aside 3-0,’’ he said. 

The willingness to learn and soak in the ethos of local life is a trait in the humble personality of Simon which had impressed Patwal. ‘’He (Simon) is a free spirit who has often travelled in Mumbai by autos and stopped by to speak to people. He is always smiling and someone who brings in virtues of the life lessons into this game,’’ the coach added.

 ‘’I tried to be the best version of Simon Harmer and I left no stones unturned for it but never in a million years, I thought I could come back and play Test cricket. I just want to make South African cricket better. Seeing then win the WTC was a wonderful experience and I am happy to have played my part,’’ was the spinner’s parting shot before leaving for home as he doesn't figure in the white ball teams.