CHENNAI: Leg-spinner S Samuel, who once impressed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar at the MA Chidambaram Stadium nets, could not climb up the ladder because of a couple of reasons.

Lack of proper guidance when at the peak of his powers and illness at an inopportune time meant that Samuel had to settle with playing in the TNCA leagues. He is still going strong as a player at 40 years old, representing Garnet CC in the Fourth Division (promoted to the Third Division for the upcoming season), and is not dwelling on the past.

Samuel, with a positive outlook, has now set his sights on becoming a national-level coach. He has already taken the first big step towards his dream, having earned a coaching role at Ba11sy Trichy, for which he is working in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League season.

An employee of Freyer International, which owns four TNCA league teams, Samuel also performs coaching duties at First Division outfit Nelson SC. “I do not want to think about what happened in the past. I just want to make use of the platform that I am on right now,” the Trichy franchise’s assistant coach Samuel, currently in Salem, said.

“In the TNPL, I get to interact with many players. Each one of them is different. As a coach, I will have to take into account the age factor. Some of them will perform well and some of them will not. Some of them will be mentally strong and some of them will be mentally weak. So, I will also have to act as a mentor to the players. At the same time, I will have to assist the team’s head coach,” added Samuel, who is preparing for the BCCI Level 1 exam.

“When I work at Nelson, I get to interact with India national team players like Hanuma Vihari. We also have Robin Bist, who is a former India ‘A’ player. Whenever they speak in team meetings, I listen to them keenly.”

For Samuel, who is on his maiden TNPL coaching stint, every day in the tournament has been a new experience. “Whatever I have learned so far from my seniors… I try to convey those messages to the players. Every player needs a good coach, my case can be considered a good example (he was plying his trade in the Third Division even when he was operating at his best). I ask the players to work smartly and take care of their body, which is their asset.”

Samuel’s ultimate goal is to land an IPL contract. “I would like to go to the IPL. I would like to become an assistant coach there,” said Samuel.