Chennai Super Kings are having a tough season in the Indian Premier League. The five-time IPL champions, have for the first time lost five successive matches in a IPL season and are lingering at the ninth place on the points table.
One of the reasons attributed to CSK’s poor show this season is their aging squad. The core of the team has remain unchanged for many seasons. For the longest time CSK believed in having a consistent squad. That philosophy did deliver success but is now becoming a problem for the team.
The franchise’s belief in not changing its men extends to its coaching staff as well. Stephen Fleming was made the team’s head coach in 2009. Michael Hussey has been part of the team’s support staff for seven years.
The change in personnel in the team and in the support staff might come into effect before the start of the next season. For now CSK will have to find a way out with the resources it has.
Here is a look at the key members of Chennai Super Kings’ support staff.
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Stephen Fleming (Head Coach) — Stephen Fleming is the head coach of Chennai Super Kings. The former New Zealand captain played for the Super Kings in the Indian Premier League’s inaugural season in 2007. The left-handed opener played 10 games and piled up 196 runs.
After retiring from cricket Fleming turned to coaching and became the team’s head coach in 2009. In Fleming’s first six years as the head coach, CSK won two IPL titles (2010 and 2011) two Champions League titles (2010 and 2014).
When CSK returned to the IPL after serving a two-year provisional ban in 2018, Flemming was reappointed as the team’s head coach. The team enjoyed two more successful seasons of the IPL with Flemming as the head coach as they lifted the titles in 2021 and 2023.
Flemming has also served as the head coach of Chennai Super Kings’ sister franchises Texas Super Kings (in Major League Cricket) and Joburg Super Kings (in SAT20). For two years he also worked as the coach of Southern Brave’s, a team in England Hundred competition.
Michael Hussey (Batting Coach) — Michael Hussey is the team’s batting coach. Like Flemming, Hussey too played for the Super Kings before delving into coaching. The Aussie had two separate stints with CSK. His first run with the Yellow Army was from 2007 till 2013. Hussey played for the Mumbai Indians in 2014 and returned to CSK in 2015.
In 2016 short-term assignments as batting consultant with South Africa and Australia. His experience as the batting consultant helped him in getting the role of CSK’s batting coach in 2018. Mr. Cricket has been with CSK ever-since.
Eric Simons (Bowling Consultant) — Eric Simons hails from South Africa. He is currently the team’s bowling consultant. At international level Simmons represented South Africa in just 23 ODIs. During his playing days Simmons was an all-rounder who bowled right arm fast medium and a right handed batter.
Simons became Western Province’s coach in September 2002 and also coached South Africa for two years. The BCCI made Simons as India’s men’s team bowling consultant in January 2010, a role that he served until February 2012. Simons has been working as CSK’s bowling consultant for seven years. The South African also works closely with Joburg Super Kings in the SA20.
Tommy Simsek (Physiotherapist) — Tommy Simsek, is an Australia-based physiotherapist. He has Masters in sports Physiotherapy, Bachelor of Applied Science Physical Education, Bachelor of Applied Science physiotherapy.
Before being a regular in the IPL with CSK, Simsek served as the Sri Lankan men’s cricket team’s physiotherapist from 2005 to 2011. He worked as CSK’s physiotherapist from 2008 to 2015. He returned to CSK fold in 2018 and has been with the team since.
Gregory King (Trainer) — Gregory King is a South African who played First Class cricket. King was contracted by the BCCI to work with team India as the head strength and conditioning coach from August 2003 to March 2008.
He then worked with Cricket South Africa from almost 11 years, first as Cricket South Africa’s Academy and High Performance Strength and Conditioning coach and then as South Africa’s men’s cricket team’s Strength and Conditioning coach.
Intermittently he has kept working with CSK as their trainer as well.
Other key members of the team are Rajiv Kumar (batting and fielding coach), R Russell (team manager), Dr. Madhu Thottappillil (team doctor), Laxmi Narayanan (high performance analyst), Sanjay Natrajan (Logistics Manager) and Khalil Khan (Masseur)
Prakhar Sachdeo
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