Cricket more than any other team sport is probably the only
team sport where the role of an effective captain can never be underestimated.
Unlike other team sports, the captain of
a team is not just any other member but is
one of the most important member while selecting the team and has to
take all the major tactical decisions on the field during the course of play.
Unlike soccer, where the coach takes all the on field decisions and the captain
is basically redundant, in cricket an impactful and a positive captain makes
the job of the team all the more easier. The world of cricket has been witness
to a lot of great captains with high success rate of winning and who have left an indelible mark on the
fortunes of their teams. I have picked 4 such captains who with their
aggressive and positive intent and tactics have left a lasting impact on world
cricket.
Ian Chappell ( Australia) – if there is one player and
captain who typifies the aggressive and combative Aussie culture then it surely
has to be ian Chappell. Having made his debut against Pakistan in Dec 1964, Chappell
had to wait for a good 6 years to become captain of Australlia. It was during
69 -70 tour of south Africa under Bill Lawry, when Australlia lost the test
series 4-0 and following a fallout with the cricket board over refusal of
playing an extra test owing to fatigue,
Lawry was sacked unceremoniously and ian Chappell was appointed captain in the
70 -71 ashes season. Chappeli as he was
fondly called, captained Australlia from 1971-75. Under his captaincy the Aussie
team played with a certain aggressive and attacking brand of cricket which went
on to become a trademark for the future aussie sides. Chappeli was greatly
influenced by the attacking captaincy of Sir Gary Sobers and Les Forell who was
captain for South Australia. Ian Chappell was known as a fierce
competitor and a no nonsense cricketer and it was this aggressive approach
which rubbed off on the Aussie team during his reign. Ian Chappell had a lot of
run ins with the Australlian cricket board as far as the financial contracts
and earnings of the players. He always had the best interest at heart as far
as the players were concerned and he had a greater role in improving the player
earnings and contracts were concerned. Chappell did not hesitate in locking horns
even with the great Donald Bradman when Bradman as a board member refused to
part with the profit of the board and
his refusal to give the players a fair
deal as far as annual contracts was concerned
was a cause of tension between the 2 strong individuals. The modern day cricketers owe a great deal to
ian Chappell. The word sledging which is
a much used word today came to be used for the first time during Chappell’’s
captaincy stint. The Aussie team under his captaincy was termed as the ugly Australlians.
Apart from his win loss record , ian Chappell’s legacy has been influential in
terms of giving fair justice to the players and
ensuring financial security to them.
Ian Chappell’s test record
Tests Won
Lost Drawn
30 15 5
10
Imran Khan Niazi - By
far the most influential and the most charismatic captain that Pakistan has
ever produced. Imran khan went on to captain Pakistan intermittently during
1982-92. Prominently one of the great
all rounders of his era, Imran was a fast bowler who won matches for Pakistan
both with the bat and ball. It was his
style of captaincy which came to the fore on several occasions. Being a
captain of one of the most mercurial sides in world cricket was never an easy
job but imran carried it out with some panache and much elan. The Pakistani
side has always been a very talented side with players having immense talent
and flair, but somehow the team could never reach those dizzy heights which was expected. Apart from
being a great performer on the field it was his leadership skills which was a major factor in Pakistan becoming
a force to reckon with in the mid 80’s. Imran had a very aggressive approach on
the field and expected his players to be unselfish and totally committed to the
cause of the team. He always believed in putting team first against any
individual. One such example was when he declared the innings with Javed Miandad
unbeaten on 280 which led to a rift between the 2 great players but imran
typical of his nature did not budge from his decision.
There is also an
instance in Sharjah during a one dayer when
Manzoor Elahi batting down the order for Pakistan was struggling to keep
his place in the side and during the final few overs he batted very cautiously
to keep his wicket intact thereby playing against the team interest. When the
innings ended, manzoor elahi came back to the pavilion remaining unbeaten and
imran khan was infuriated by his selfish attitude and told him in no uncertain
terms what he thought of the effort and to nobody’s surprise he never played
for Pakistan ever again. Such was imran khan’s aura and influence on his team and the cricket board
that he virtually got the players which he wanted in the team. This is phenomenal considering that Pakistani team and the board has been parochial and
biased towards players from their
respective cities. After having retired from cricket in 1987, imran came back and helped his country
win its only world cup in 1992. Midway through the world cup, Pakistan was
virtually out of the world cup but it was imran’s inspired leadership which
infused the belief in the players and Pakistan won all its matches thereafter beating England in
the final played at Melbourne. This triumph was a great tribute to his
captaincy and man management skills. One of
the highlights of his captaincy was his ability to take out the best from all his players. Even though he had a galaxy of stars like
javed, asif iqbal, wasim akram, waqar younis, sarfaraz nawaz, to make these
players feel wanted in the team and make them play as a unit with their egos
notwithstanding. For his sheer aggressive mode of captaincy and man management
skills, imran khan will go down as one of the finest captains the sport has
ever seen.
Imran khan’s record as captain.
Tests Won
Lost Drawn ODI'S
Won Lost Tie
N/R
48 14 8
26 139
77 57 1
5
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