Mo Bobat - The master tactician who makes magic happen

The world of sports has always been riddled with almost unbelievable tales of the unknown. To be precise, when we say unknown, it isn’t exactly about a nondescript character who appears out of thin air. Here the word ‘unknown’ refers to that individual who doesn’t appear much in front of the lens.

Believe this or not, these are the kinds of people who are the heart and the soul of the team and yet when we talk about the mighty Virat Kohlis, the Michael Phelps, the David Beckhams of the sporting world, these characters happily take a back seat and bask in the glory, silently.

If you have watched the classic called ‘Moneyball’, you must be aware of a certain Peter Brand who was the heart of the entire strategy that helped Billy Beane to propel Oakland Athletics to win the American League West. Let’s talk about another classic called ‘The Class of 92’ where Beckham testifies that one of the major drivers of the Manchester United midfield called Paul Scholes would never really join the team in savouring the championships. He would stay in his own room, leave it all dark and enjoy all of it in silence. No matter whatever sport we talk about, these examples are endless. However, when we talk about contributions, these ‘unknowns’ suddenly emerge as the nexus of the team’s performance.

There’s a reason why we’re revisiting all this history. On Friday morning, RCB announced the appointment of Englishman Mo Bobat to fill in the massive boots of Mike Hesson who crafted quite an enviable legacy in the last four years with the team as the Director of Cricket Operations. Out of the four seasons that Hesson worked with the team, the Red and Gold army qualified for the play-offs thrice and became the only team in the antiquity of the IPL to do so in three consecutive years.

Now there’s Bobat at the helm, in a new role as Director of Cricket. So why should RCB fans be excited about Mo Bobat? Well the answer is that one, he’s someone who loves the work he does and two, his work speaks for his glittering name in the cricket circles. He joined the English cricket team when they were stuck in a tumultuous phase. His first designation was that of managing England’s Men’s Under 19 Programme. From thereon, his hard work and belief got him a promotion that landed him as ECB’s first Player Identification Lead in 2016.

Fast forward a couple of years more and Bobat started closely eyeing individuals who were not even being envisaged in the wildest of dreams. Who would have thought that Rehan Ahmed, a youngster identified by Bobat when the former was just 18 years old, would get his debut at Karachi and he’d star with a five-wicket haul against the hosts? 

When Rob Key came into the England set-up, he needed a helping hand, a hand that he could trust to rebuild the Three Lions. Lo and behold, Bobat was always present with his inputs, and a dream partnership started forging. Brendon McCullum came on as their coach and now we know that England is not just back at their majestic best but Test cricket has a whole new domination inside a husk called Bazball. You know the glitz and the glam but alongside Key, the key figure to this entire plot was Bobat.

In fact, Key, on Bobat’s RCB appointment, said “This is a bittersweet moment for me personally because while I am delighted that Mo has been given an unbelievable opportunity, it marks the end of probably the most enjoyable partnership of any career I have had.”

Those few lines were enough to underline how much of an impact Bobat had on England cricket, pretty much holding the ‘key’ to their chances in some sense. 

Key, for his part of praising Bobat, wasn’t done. He further added, “When I first arrived at the ECB 18 months ago, Mo was the guiding hand that allowed me to get my feet under the table and to get on with my role. I have absolutely no doubt I would have drowned without his support and expertise. His 12 years at the ECB should be an inspiration for many and shows what can be achieved if you never give up and keep believing in yourself.” Tells you a boatload about trust and how much he’s had an impact, doesn’t it?

So how does he fit into RCB? First and foremost, he has previously worked with Andy Flower during the latter’s stint with the England cricket team. So, the duo is well accustomed to each other and the chemistry kicks in from there. Flower brings in the strategies and the big guns, Bobat brings in the subtleties and finesse.

Why is Bobat so crucial to the set-up? Well, the answer lies in nuances. The first layer of nuance is that while Flower gets the team together, plots the machinations and stratagems, Bobat identifies who are the ones who should be pushed to the fore in order to get the job done.

As the big names get thrown around ahead of the IPL auctions, Bobat enters his mind palace to put together the best of combinations and crunch the numbers to put players under a category that is defined by a specific role. It doesn’t stop there, though. Identifying a player and his role is only the first part - putting together 15-20 of these players to form the squad is another beast altogether, but a beast that Bobat has mastered taming during his tenure at ECB. Bobat is a master tactician and identifier, and when it comes to modern-day cricket, it is important to identify the horses for courses, considering how gruelling the T20 format can be. Bobat’s expertise means he aces in this role and no wonder the RCB management chose the Englishman for the role.

These are the technicalities that will be introduced into the RCB setup with Mo Bobat’s involvement. However, don’t be surprised if you don’t see much of him on your screens. For all that we’ve seen of Bobat, he is someone who stays in the shed and gets the job done. A few love to watch the lot shine and while he will be at the helm of it all, he certainly won’t always be in the limelight.

Well just in case if you are looking for a few specifics about the laurels that were racked by the Three Lions during the course of Bobat, England lifted the 2019 ODI World Cup, a victory that cricket lovers would never forget, particularly after the pulsating finale and the 2022 T20 World Cup and even in that final, Ben Stokes pulled off the unthinkable.