Latest news with #GilbertEnoka
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ben Stokes declares the All Blacks guru behind 'no d***heads' policy can take England to next level in pursuit of long-term winning culture
Ben Stokes says turning to the man who created the All Blacks ' 'no d***heads' policy was prompted by a desire to develop England's own long-term winning culture. Gilbert Enoka, whose most famous work as a mental skills coach came with New Zealand's rugby union team during a period in which they won the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, is on a four-day consultancy with the England team in Manchester. Last winter, while discussing the progress of the Test team in the first three years of their partnership, England captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum agreed that the next phase of Bazball was to redefine their values in a bid for sustained success. It coincided with some loose public proclamations from England players, seized on by outsiders who questioned whether the relaxed nature of the squad — particularly a willingness to play and talk about golf — was conducive to success at elite level. Wanting someone they could trust, McCullum backed fellow New Zealander Enoka, a man he has known for years, to articulate the enduring vision of the team. 'We can say as much as we want, but we don't have the knowledge or the experience in pushing teams on to the next level of where we want to go,' said Stokes. 'Months ago, when we spoke, Gilbert asked what mine and Baz's vision was for the team, how we wanted to take it forward. He went away, was able to put it into words and deliver it to the group in a very clear and simple way. 'Months ago, when we spoke, Gilbert asked what mine and Baz's vision was for the team, how we wanted to take it forward. He went away, was able to put it into words and deliver it to the group in a very clear and simple way. 'The culture around how we operate as a team on the field, off the field, the meaning of why we do everything. Baz and I are very big on the choices and options you take, that they should not just be involved around you, but around your team-mates. 'It was nice to hear, that we share similar values (to the All Blacks). Culture, behaviours, training. Being as good as you possibly can be.' Enoka chatted with the squad ahead of the Test win over Zimbabwe in May and marked his return by reporting that he had witnessed shifts in mindset.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
‘No d***heads': Why England Cricket hired New Zeland rugby union guru Gilbert Enoka
England have turned to the mental performance coach who created the All Blacks famous 'no d***heads' policy to give them a tougher edge in what has become a fractious Test series against India. Gilbert Enoka has been hired by his fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum to harden up an England side the coach said were 'too nice' ahead of the third Test at Lord's, which was marked by a number of clashes between the sides. Advertisement Enoka was part of a training camp in London ahead of the Test summer and addressed the England players ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, which starts on Wednesday. He will stay with the team for part of the game in what will be a temporary appointment aimed at giving England the edge in a series they lead 2-1 with two to play. The Athletic examines Enoka's background and why England are working with him. He is a mental performance coach with immense sporting experience, including working with the New Zealand cricket team — where he met England coach Brendon McCullum — the New Zealand netball team and a previous spell in English football with Chelsea, where he worked as an advisor two years ago. But Enoka is best known for his long association with New Zealand rugby, spending 15 years as their mental skills coach and another seven as leadership manager. That was where he brought in the 'no dickheads' policy said to be integral to the All Blacks two World Cup wins in 2011 and 2015. A d***head, according to Enoka, is someone who makes everything about themselves, puts themselves ahead of the team, believes they are entitled to preferential treatment, operates deceitfully or seeks unnecessary attention for their work. The policy emphasises that if an individual cannot change their ways they should be removed from the team regardless of their talent. McCullum was a pioneer of a nice, positive, friendly style of play when he was New Zealand captain and has brought a similar approach to his Bazball project with Ben Stokes. But he told the England team before the third Test that they were 'too nice' and encouraged the aggressive attitude that saw them hit back strongly at India after they confronted Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett for wasting time on the third evening. Advertisement The England captain said on Tuesday ahead of the fourth Test that Enoka had been brought in to help take England to 'the next level' during a spell of 10 Tests against India and Australia that will define the Stokes-McCullum era. 'We had a lot of time off after playing in New Zealand last winter and I spoke with Baz (McCullum) a lot about what we want to do and how we could take the team forward,' said Stokes. 'We can say as much as we want but we don't have the knowledge or experience in pushing teams onto the next level of where we want to go. 'Luckily Baz has known Gilbert for a long time and he's been able to put into words what we want to do a lot better than me and Baz would ever be able to do. 'He says we are similar in terms of our mindset to the All Blacks and that was nice to hear because they are such an unbelievable team. It's about culture, behaviour, training and being as good as we possibly can be.' While England have looked to toughen up, India have looked to the other Old Trafford where they spent time with Manchester United's players and their head coach Ruben Amorim before beginning their preparation for Wednesday's Test. An epic crossover 🔝 Indian Cricket Team 🤝🏻 Manchester United#TeamIndia | @ManUtd — BCCI (@BCCI) July 21, 2025 Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, a United fanatic and keen follower of English football in general, even quizzed Amorim on his tactics ahead of the new Premier League season. 'A lot of our players are big Manchester United fans and it was great to be able to meet them and share our thoughts on each other's sports,' said India captain Shubman Gill. 'The English players on the United team clearly knew about cricket but said they weren't very good at it.' Clearly it's a factor in England's approach. Stokes doubled down on that on Tuesday and promised more of the same at Old Trafford. 'It's not something we will look to go out and repeat because that could take our focus off what we need to do out in the middle,' said the England captain. 'But by no means will we take a backward step. If the opposition are confrontational towards us we will try to give a bit back.' Gill, meanwhile, remains adamant that England were to blame for the bad feelings, which began when the India captain clashed with Crawley, telling the England opener to 'grow a pair of f****** balls'. 'The English batsmen had seven minutes of play left when they started their innings that night and were 90 seconds late getting to the crease,' Gill said. 'Not 10 or 20. They were 90 seconds late. That is not something that comes within the spirit of the game. Advertisement 'I wouldn't say my reaction is something I'm proud of but there was a build-up to that. When you see things that should not happen sometimes emotions come out of nowhere.' Click here to read more cricket stories on The Athletic, and follow Global Sports on The Athletic app via the Discover tab. (Top photos: Gilbert Enoka and the England team; Getty Images)
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First Post
22-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
England ramp up mind games vs India by hiring Gilbert Enoka, mental coach famous for ‘no d***heads policy'
England have rolled the dice by bringing in renowned mental coach Gilbert Enoka, known for his 'no d***heads policy'. It's an attempt to prepare the team for tough battles against India and Australia. read more Gilbert Enoka (L) won two World Cups with the All Blacks and is known for his work on mental coaching. Image: AFP The England cricket team has stepped up the game with two more matches to go in the high-octane Test series against India. England lead 2-1 after three matches, but they are well aware that India have been the better side and after the on-field spats during the Lord's Test, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have decided to add All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka to the team. Enoka, who won two World Cups in 2011 and 2015 with the All Blacks (New Zealand national rugby union team), is known for implementing a 'no dickheads' policy during his time with the side. The New Zealander Enoka worked with the England cricket team for a few days at the start of the summer and will now rejoin them for the remaining two Tests against England and the upcoming Ashes against Australia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD England ramp up mental game vs India As per reports, Enoka has been brought in by England coach McCullum, who has worked with Enoka earlier in New Zealand cricket. He has been called in to 'toughen up' England during the crucial phase of the Test series against India. The on-field spat between Zak Crawley and Team India on Day 3 of the Lord's Test has changed the complexion of the Test series, with players looking more eager to get under the skin of their opponents. Mohammed Siraj and Ben Duckett also collided into each other after the latter's dismissal on Day 4, while England pacer Jofra Archer was also seen giving an aggressive send-off to Rishabh Pant on the final day of the game. Also Read | Anjum Chopra Exclusive: 'Shubman is India's captain, let's be there to help him succeed' England went on to win the Lord's Test in dramatic fashion by 22 runs as they took a 2-1 lead in the series, but it would have provided the team management enough indication that they need to sharpen up mentally for the upcoming challenges. What is Enoka's 'no dickheads' policy? Enoka has a history of working with some elite teams, including the Chelsea Football Club. He is popular for founding a 'no dickheads' policy, according to which self-serving and counterproductive behaviours need to be eliminated from the members of a team. Enoka describes a 'dickhead' as someone 'who puts themselves ahead of the team, people who think they're entitled to things, expect the rules to be different for them, people operating deceitfully in the dark, or being unnecessarily loud about their work.' Also Read | Former India cricketer slams Shubman for mimicking ex-skipper Kohli's style in England He added: 'The management might not spot these counterproductive behaviours. The players and leaders themselves should call others out for their inflated egos. Often, teams put up with it because a player has so much talent. We look for early warning signs and wean the big egos out pretty quickly. Our motto is: 'If you can't change the people, change the people.'' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: England cricket team hires ‘no d***heads' guru Gilbert Enoka – here's what you need to know
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 21: Gilbert Enoka speaks to the England team during a net session at Emirates Old Trafford on July 21, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by) The England cricket team has hired former All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka. He did some work with the England team at the start of the summer and will be with them for the next few days on a consultancy basis. Enoka has been brought in to toughen up an England squad amid a pivotal phase that includes a series against India followed by the all-important Ashes against Australia. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Enoka, a friend of McCullum's, has also worked with elite sides in several sports and nations, including a spell at Chelsea in 2023, and is famous for instigating a 'no dickheads' policy while helping the All Blacks to two World Cup wins in 2011 and 2015. He also worked as a mental skills coach with the New Zealand cricket team from 1998–2004 and the national netball team from 1994–1997. Harry Brook press conference: On why India are scared, on field fights at Lord's and more 'A dickhead makes everything about them,' he famously said in 2017. 'They are people who put themselves ahead of the team, people who think they're entitled to things, expect the rules to be different for them, people operating deceitfully in the dark, or being unnecessarily loud about their work. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Undo Poll Do you think hiring Gilbert Enoka will improve the mental toughness of the England cricket team? Yes, it will make a significant difference. No, it won't have much impact. 'The management might not spot these counterproductive behaviours. The players and leaders themselves should call others out for their inflated egos. Often, teams put up with it because a player has so much talent. We look for early warning signs and wean the big egos out pretty quickly. Our motto is: 'If you can't change the people, change the people.'' England are leading the five-match series 2–1, and the fourth Test will be played at Old Trafford, starting July 23. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Meet Gilbert Enoka: The mental skills coach hired by England for the India Test series
Who is Gilbert Enoka and what is his background in sports? Gilbert Enoka is a renowned mental skills coach from New Zealand, famous for implementing a 'no d***heads policy.' His extensive background includes working with the New Zealand national netball team (1994-97), the New Zealand cricket team (1998-2004), and most notably, the All Blacks (New Zealand's national rugby team) from 2000, where he served as a mental skills coach for 15 years and then as their leadership manager for seven. He also had a stint with Premier League club Chelsea in 2023. Why has England's cricket team brought in Enoka? England's cricket team has hired Gilbert Enoka amidst a high-drama series against India and in preparation for the crucial Ashes against Australia. The decision was influenced by the growing number of New Zealanders in the England setup, including head coach Brendon McCullum, with whom Enoka previously worked in New Zealand cricket. His role is to 'toughen up' the squad during this pivotal phase. What is Enoka's 'no d***heads policy'? Enoka's 'no d***heads policy' is a philosophy designed to eliminate self-serving and counterproductive behaviours within a team. According to Enoka, a 'd***head' is someone who makes everything about themselves, puts themselves ahead of the team, believes they are entitled to special treatment, operates deceitfully, or seeks unnecessary attention for their work. The policy emphasises that if such individuals cannot change their behaviour, they should be removed from the team, regardless of their talent. What was Enoka's impact on the All Blacks rugby team? Gilbert Enoka's tenure with the All Blacks, where he served for 22 years, coincided with a 'golden era' for the team. During this period, the All Blacks achieved significant success, including back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2015, and maintained a prolonged reign as the world's top-ranked side. When did Gilbert Enoka join the England cricket setup and for how long? Gilbert Enoka began working behind the scenes with Brendon McCullum's team since a pre-season camp in London in May, ahead of the Zimbabwe Test. He formally joined the squad during the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against India, addressing players before training at Old Trafford. Related Topics India vs England Test series
