THE FRONTMEN

 

 

Mike Brearley was not an ordinary cricketer, as his test batting average of 22.88 and exactly zero centuries in 66 innings would suggest, because his expertise in the game was not batting, but a rather decisive skill—captaincy. Brearley’s threadbare analysis of the art and science of captaincy in his seminal book ‘The Art of Captaincy’ is the Bible for anyone trying to understand the philosophy and psychology of leading a cricket team.

It has remained a difficult art to comprehend and an intricate one to master. There have been many before Brearley and many followed after him, who have had an outstanding innings as captains, inspiring and leading their teams to exceptional heights. A selective listing of some of the best captains of all time, reads like a veritable who’s who of the world of cricket. Don Bradman (the original genius who led the invincibles of the late 40s), Clive Lloyd ( who led the Windies to two successive World Cup triumphs), Ian Chappell (the tough talking Aussie who knew how to win), Richie Benaud (who repossessed the Ashes and defended them twice), the ingenious and ruthless Douglas Jardine (of ‘Bodyline’ infamy) and of course Brearley. Astute cricket tacticians all, these men not only understood the intricate nuances of the game, but the fine art of managing men. A skill quintessential, yet underrated. It was immortalized in Rodney Hogg, the Australian fast bowler’s assessment of Mike Brearley, “He has a degree in people.”

Cricket is a multifarious sport and its up to the captain to keep all the intricacies in mind as he takes the calls in a match. Beginning with the toss, to field placements, changing the pattern of bowling, to deciding the batting tempo and order and to top it all, the captain has to take care of his performance. The pressures are naturally very great and not everyone can claim to be cut out for the job. By the time you read this piece, the World Cup champion would perhaps have been crowned. What we do know at the moment is that Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are the teams that have made it to the semi-finals. Jack Sparrow they may not be, but the respective captains make for an interesting study in contrasts in terms of their style of leadership. Ricky Ponting is the super performer who leads from the front and has an exceptionally talented bunch at his disposal. Stephen Fleming is the ‘veteran’ captain who has been a rock in New Zealand cricket. Greame Smith, who at a young age, found himself at the helm, in a team full of seniors, slowly but surely is learning the ropes. And finally, Mahela Jayewardene, who, the skilled batsman that he is, has matured into a leader entrusted with the responsibility of grooming Sri Lanka’s future. Three essential qualities make a great captain. A complete and comprehensive understanding of the game and the ability to adapt to the myriad situations that could crop up during the course of a match is vital. Former Indian captain, M A K Pataudi (who considers Richie Benaud, Imran Khan and Frank Worrell as all time great captains) told TSI that a captain “should be strategic and have a good understanding of the game”. Having the resources to call upon (Lloyd had his fast men, Chappell had Lillee and Thomson, Jardine had Harold Larwood and Brearley had Botham, Gower and Willis) and the charm and charisma to retain their loyalty was the other key component of the jigsaw. Mohammed Azharuddin, one of India’s most successful captains, spoke to TSI and asserted, ‘The two important qualities that a captain must possess are that he should be able to earn the respect of his team and should be able to deliver a great performance on the field.’ They need to be brilliant managers of men, so that they are able to marshal their ‘troops’. Pataudi elaborates further: “As a captain, one should be able to (rise) above the major or minor politics and preferably do justice to the position he holds.” He reckons that tact and understanding are required (since) leading 10 individuals might not be very smooth as some might have large egos, personal problems or simply (be) homesick”. A perfect example is Brearley, who in a wily manner cajoled and nurtured Ian Botham during the 1981 ‘Botham’s Ashes’, beginning with the Second Test, which England won at Headingly despite chasing a follow on.

Parallels may be drawn between him and Imran Khan in the mid 80s to the early 90s or with Arjuna Ranatunga of the mid 90s

Today, despite advances in the game and that “captains today have a large support staff , which portrays the coach as the captain, causing confusion”, the role of the captain on the field still remains decisive and central. Cricket is still a game played on the green turf and the 22 yards in between the wickets in the middle is more than the size of any laptop screen or advanced software, and the man out there has to call the shots.Whatever maybe the outcome, you are rest assured that the four captains in the World Cup semis will be locked in as much of a battle of wits as of skill. May the better strategist and the superior manager win! AT THE HELM OF TEAM INDIA

To paraphrase Shakespeare, ‘In Indian cricket some are born captains (MAK Pataudi?), some have captaincy thrust upon them (Azhar?) and some achieve greatness in captaincy (Sourav?)’.

In the early 90s, the job was effectively thrust upon Mohammed Azharuddin, after Raj Singh Dungarpur’s famous proposition to him ‘Mian, Captan Banoge?’. Remaining at the top by default, Azhar did have some commendable achievements (statistically at least), but his overseas record remained dismal. As the end of his reign approached, accelerated by a loss of form and match fixing issues, the board first appointed Sachin Tendulkar and then Sourav Ganguly to the post.

Ganguly’s ability to unite the team and his own fiery and ‘never say die’ spirit led to an incredible string of successes. After Ganguly was dropped, Dravid took over the reins and since then, India’s stature as a cricketing powerhouse has touched a nadir hitherto unknown . Stephen Fleming says: “I wouldn’t really like to compare Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. They are two completely different individuals and thus will obviously display different styles of captaincy... it is impossible to pass judgment on who’s the better captain.” While Graeme Smith, like the Kiwi, skirts controversy and says: “From what I have seen of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, one is a quiet sort, while the other is more obviously aggressive. I believe both have been fairly successful, so it’s a tough call to take on who’s a better captain.”

In hindsight, everyone is wiser and it is obvious that Sourav should not have been removed. Former captain MAK Pataudi leans toward the southpaw, “Dravid is less controversial, but the determination and aggression of Ganguly has impressed me...”. On the other hand, Azharuddin maintains: “ (Between) Ganguly and Dravid, its difficult to say who is a better captain…”. The ‘board games’ continue.....