'I'm not worried about being hard on the team' - Greg King

He's not yet 30, looks about half that age and smiles politely before saying anything. It's obvious that he's new in town. "I've only been here two days, this is my first trip to India, and I've already been in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai," says Greg King, speaking to Wisden CricInfo in Chennai. "Greg who?" some people ask. Greg Allen King who replaces Adrian le Roux as India's physical trainer.

You have to strain a bit to catch every word he says - softly and with a thick South African accent. "Adrian [le Roux] contacted me about two weeks ago and then the BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] checked with me to see if I was interested," he explains, spelling out the process that brought him from South Africa's Border province to India.

King's six-year term with Border (as fielding coach, fast-bowler-conditioning specialist and rehabilitation specialist), comes to an end with almost immediate effect. He's grateful how the transfer has been handled. "They [the Border Cricket Board officials] were very supportive and understanding, much in the same way the BCCI has been with Adrian. I have to actually get back soon and make sure I find someone to take over from me with the Border team."

He also played for Border as an allrounder. While his first-class career lasted three matches, King spent a fair time playing for the second eleven, and still enjoys a bowl. "I had stopped playing for three years. I got a chance after the World Cup to play some social cricket, in what you call the Farmer's League. You want to win games of course, but there's no pressure or anything. Perhaps I'll get a bit of an opportunity now, to have a bowl at the Indians in the nets!"

King, a post-graduate in Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, played cricket for South African Universities and others teams from 1996 to 1998. He was nominated the Rhodes University Sportsman of the Year in 1998.

"I've been watching the Indian team a bit on the telly," he says. "Adrian's made a huge difference in their overall fitness and I've got big boots to fill. I've been reading what some of the players have had to say and they obviously had a lot of respect for him and will miss him. He's made a huge impact with his work in the last year or so."

Is he worried about his workload? "Without a doubt, maintaining fitness standards is the most crucial thing and that's what I'll be focussing on with the Indian team. And I'm not worried about being hard on the team. I like to be consistent with players - hard but fair." King admits readily that he hasn't dealt with Test cricketers before, but quickly puts it in perspective. "If you haven't been a player you can still be a trainer. Some of the best trainers haven't been cricketers. Of course if you have been a cricketer it can help - in fielding drills and that sort of thing."

You know quickly that King is going to be a hit in this country when he he picks out his favourite India match from the World Cup. "That's easy - the Pakistan match. I was in East London, and unfortunately could not get down to the game. It's etched in my memory because of the way India batted; that was really phenomenal."

Things have moved quickly for King. In two weeks faxes have flown, telephone lines burned and here he is, all set to train the Indian side. Yet, he's not nervous about working in India. "I'm just finding my feet. I'm not edgy or anything, [just] a bit overwhelmed with all the attention - especially from the media - which I'm not used to. There are so many people passionately following cricket in this country that it's going to take some time to get used to."

The upside for him is that he doesn't leave a wife and children behind in South Africa. Just as soon as he's said that though, with a hint of jet lag showing in his eyes, King gets wistful. "I have a girlfriend back in South Africa and we still haven't worked out what we're going to do. She was very supportive when the news came through - she realises it's a very big opportunity. Although I still have to go back and work a lot of things out."

King's just stepped on the treadmill. In a different way, he'll be kept on his toes as much as the athletes whom he's driving towards peak fitness.