Former Australian hockey legend Jamie Dwyer asserts that while the Indian team boasts immense talent and infrastructure, achieving global dominance hinges on their ability to maintain consistent performance, drawing parallels with the success of the Hockey India League and the IPL.
Key Points
- Former Australian hockey legend Jamie Dwyer believes India has the talent and infrastructure to dominate world hockey but lacks consistency.
- Dwyer, a two-time World Cup winner, has been impressed by the modern game's pace and players' skill execution.
- He sees the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian team as a genuine title contender in the ongoing World Cup.
- Dwyer suggests the Hockey India League can play a crucial role in developing Indian hockey, similar to the IPL's impact on cricket.
- He is also involved in the European T20 Premier League, working with Steve Waugh, and believes hockey can learn from cricket's commercial packaging for TV viewers.
Former Australia legend Jamie Dwyer does not doubt that the Indian team has the talent, skills and infrastructure to become a dominant force in world hockey but says the side needs consistency to realise its true potential.
Dwyer, one of the greatest forwards of his generation, played 365 internationals for Australia and scored 244 goals, including the momentous extra-time winner in the 2004 Athens Olympic final against the Netherlands in 2004.
He was also part of Australia's World Cup-winning teams in 2010 and 2014. Having retired a decade ago, the 47-year-old has been impressed by the evolution of the sport, particularly its pace and the ability of players to execute skills at speed.
Modern Hockey's Evolution and India's Potential
"Modern hockey has changed. The game has become much faster, especially the ball movement. The execution of skills while the ball is moving is exciting to watch these days," Dwyer told PTI in an exclusive interview.
"Despite that, we haven't lost the individual flair and skills. I have watched a few matches in this World Cup, and I am impressed with the way hockey is being played. The players today possess unbelievable skills, and they are really brilliant athletes."
Dwyer has been following India's campaign at the ongoing World Cup and believes the Harmanpreet Singh-led side is a genuine title contender. "The men's team is right up there with the best in the world at the moment. They are a brilliant team and can win this tournament," he said.
The Importance of Consistency and HIL's Role
But if India are to win major titles consistently, Dwyer feels they must learn to reproduce their best hockey match after match. "They have many talented players; I can't name one. I always love watching Indian players for their skills. They have an excellent penalty corner specialist. They need to maintain consistency as a team, just like the Dutch, Australians and Germans. Once they start doing this consistently, they will be very good," he said.
Dwyer believes the Hockey India League can play an important role in that development, much like the Indian Premier League has transformed the depth and competitiveness of Indian cricket. "The Hockey India League is helping the players in the way the IPL helped cricket. Look at their cricket, they can put three Indian teams out at a time, and they are all very good," he said.
"If they put the system right in India, they will be hard to beat in hockey."
Advice for the Indian Team and Beyond Hockey
Dwyer, who also played in the HIL, has first-hand experience of playing hockey in India and fondly remembers the 2010 World Cup and Commonwealth Games. His advice to the current Indian team is simple: do not get distracted by the occasion and make sure they leave the tournament knowing they gave everything.
"Play to your potential. Harmanpreet is an amazing player, already scored a few goals. He is a great leader and very popular now in India. Play well as a team, that's the most important thing," Dwyer said.
"When you come to play a tournament like this, whether you win, lose or draw, when you retire and sort of look back, you should be satisfied that you had played to your potential."
Dwyer's sporting interests have now expanded beyond hockey. He is part of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), working alongside former Australia captain Steve Waugh.
"It has been interesting, and I am enjoying working with Steve Waugh. It's great timing as we have the opportunity to watch top-class hockey and cricket at the same time in the Netherlands," he said.
Cricket's Commercial Success and Global Expansion
Amsterdam Flames team features high-profile names including Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane and Tim David, leaving co-owner Dwyer "excited about the league's inaugural season".
Dwyer also believes hockey can learn from cricket's commercial success, particularly in the way the sport is packaged for television. "Just the business side of it is next level with cricket, with so much opportunity to get sponsorship on TV. One thing I think hockey can do is make it TV-viewer friendly," he said.
"When you watch it live, it's the best sport in the world to watch. But for TV viewers, it's quite hard. You have to present it for TV viewers in the right way, capturing all the skills as the ball moves so fast."
The ETPL, he feels, can help cricket expand its footprint beyond its traditional markets, particularly with several iconic names involved.
"It has legends of the game like Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid, Matthew Hayden and Jonty Rhodes on board. It is being played in Europe, which is a beautiful place to play cricket. I really feel that it will help in the growth of cricket in this part of the world but also be watched worldwide."
Dwyer reserved special praise for Dravid, drawing a parallel between the former India captain and Waugh.
"Just like Waugh, his integrity, honesty and down-to-earth nature. He just wants the best for cricket here. He and Steve are the legends of the game and hold themselves high up as people and sportsmen," he said.
