India's top cricketers were imparted 'Bono' therapy in a bid to enhance creativity and thinking skills and bettering their performance on the ground, as a week-long cricket-skills specific camp commenced in Bangalore on Wednesday.
At a plush Bangalore hotel, the 36 probables went through a two-and-a-half hour workshop, conducted by Shiva Subramaniam, head of the creativity and innovation at Tata Consultancy Services.
TCS's master trainers used scientific and proven techniques for effective interaction and structured thinking techniques like 'Six Thinking Hats' and 'Lateral Thinking'. The workshop involved extensive exercises to aid greater cohesion in the team when coping with tough situations on the field.
Subramaniam, a master-trainer of the method, said the 'Bono method' is essentially "tools for thinking". By using the method, he said, the output of thinking becomes more elegant and organised.
"It relates to how using six thinking hats and lateral thinking (invented by Edward de Bono), one can enhance confidence in oneself and be a better thinker and creative person," he said.
"I felt it was a tool that can add value to what we were doing," India coach Greg Chappell said.
"If we have to take this team to another level and fulfill its potential, I think we need to look at a whole range of issues differently from the way we would normally look at them."
India captain Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Mongia, Harbhajan Singh, V V S Laxman and Murali Kartik, who had missed the physical fitness and conditioning camp, joined 31 others for the final phase of the camp that began on Jun 27.
Sachin Tendulkar also arrived for interaction with Chappell and physio John Gloster.
