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The Maroof Khan Podcast

·1 hr 26 min·5 clips

Maroof Khan says he got his first SG Sunny Tiny bat after his father arranged help when a bat was stolen.

Aaron opens the episode by introducing Maroof Khan as a former Mumbai Listay cricketer and current coach. The conversation starts with a simple check-in on how his day is going, then moves quickly into his recent work in mixed disability cricket against India. Maroof links that experience to what comes next, which is preparing information, communication, and planning for the Triton squad in the Disability Premier League. He treats those jobs as part of the same wider role rather than separate worlds. From there, the discussion turns to coaching itself. Maroof describes coaching as something that can be coach-led or player-led, and he is clear that good coaching needs both at different times. He gives examples of teaching specific skills such as the reverse-sweep, the paddle-sweep, the bouncer, and the slow-yorker. He also notes that a player’s condition, confidence, or immediate concerns can change the shape of a session. That flexibility matters to him because cricket work is tied to headspace as much as technique. He then broadens the point into a reflection on how insecure coaching can be as a profession. Maroof says many coaches are drawn toward the top end of the game, but that narrow path can make people lose sight of themselves and forget why they started coaching. He pushes back on the idea that coaching should become a performance of authority. Instead, he says he coaches for the love of it, for the smile it can bring to someone else, and because he has something to give back to his players. The episode keeps coming back to that human core. Maroof argues that the best coaches stay themselves and can look in the mirror knowing they did what they could for the person in front of them. The conversation also touches on the pressure of being process-driven rather than outcome-driven, a tension Aaron recognises from his own experience. Maroof’s answers stay practical, but they carry a clear sense of purpose. He wants coaches to remember that sport is not only about advancement or prestige. It is about giving back, building trust, and creating a space where players can grow. Near the close, the discussion widens again to the role of sport in society. Maroof talks about the way sport brings people together through difficult and changing times. He frames organizations, sponsors, and governing bodies as part of that wider responsibility. The episode ends with a call to keep pushing the game forward for the greater good, which gives the whole conversation a steady and generous finish.

As heard by us

A thoughtful coaching conversation about disability cricket, player development, and the human side of coaching.

The County Cricket Podcast keeps this conversation with former Mumbai Listay cricketer turned coach Maroof Khan on the work of coaching, not the slogan version of it.

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Why you'd press play

Hear a coach unpack disability cricket, coaching choices, and the Triton squad setup.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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