If you are looking for some nice intro, its the weekend - the intro took the week off. So its straight to the list of five...
My focus is mainly on Test Cricket (backed with a little dose of One Day too)
Allan Border
When Allan Border inherited the privilege of leading his country’s cricket team from Kim Hughes, the Australian cricket team wasn’t doing all that well. The left handed batsman took it upon himself to mould a team that only knew one thing - WINNING. During his reign as captain (1985-1994), he lead his team to many home and overseas victories, won back the Ashes and also earned Australia its first World Cup (Reliance Cup 1987).
He was the captain of the team that played in that incredible tied test at Madras against India (Kapil Dev being his Indian counterpart)
His personal record in tests is incredible (11174 runs and 156 catches in 156 tests).
In many ways. Allan Border is the man who revolutionized Australian Cricket and set the foundation for the best team in the world today. When Mark Taylor took over the mantle from Allan Border, he didnt have much work to do as the tone had already been set by the great - Allan Border.
As tempted as I was to have Steve Waugh - rated the most successful captain ever - in this list, I firmly believe that they are all reaping the rewards of the trend that Allan Border set....
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Clive Lloyd
Its a known thing that the first two cricket world cups were lifted by West Indies. Its also known that those two teams that achieved this feat were lead by a gentle giant called Clive Lloyd.
The man who recognized the values of lightning-speed pace bowling and introduced a battery of pacemen in his team to crush every opponent in his path, must rank very high in the annals of cricket as a great captain. During his tenure as captain, the West Indies had a 27 match streak without a defeat (including 11 wins in a row).
Clive Lloyd was an impressive batsman and a great fielder. He occasionally bowled medium pace too (although in a team with bowlers like Clarke, Croft, Roberts and Holding... he didnt have to do much in this department). He has more than 7000 test runs to his name.
His successor was the great Sir. Vivian Richards - another great captain who’s accomplishments as a captain were overshadowed by his own personal greatness.
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Saurav Ganguly
This is because of the Indian in me. He’s the only Indian captain with more wins than losses under his belt in both forms of cricket. He also exudes a passion on the cricket field (which often gets him into trouble) thats unmatched.
He had a great run during the early part of this decade but unfortunately, he’s at a stage where he has to go through the whole process of rebuilding a tight unit and reworking his own game again.
Nevertheless, he’s India’s most successful captain, if not the greatest.
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Michael Vaughan
Surprised to see this name here? Well cant you see the changes in the English team? Sure you have Flintoff whacking sixes off every other ball, sure you have Harmison and Hoggard bowling some mean ones but look at the larger picture. The team’s going all out under Vaughan.
The man’s a good leader and the following record doesnt read all that bad does it?
Tests: 27 matches, 17 wins, 5 draws, 5 losses
One Days: 48 matches, 25 wins, 17 losses, 2 ties 4 no results
Who knows, maybe even an Ashes win might be around the corner as England leads 2-1 in the current Ashes series (2005).
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Special Mention
Douglas Jardine
This brings memories of that awesome cricket documentary - BODYLINE.
During the Bradman era, the Australian team was near invincible. That was until this English Captain decided to go down a path that shocked the whole world. Jardine recruited the services of two bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, devised a plan that would contain the great Don and the rest of the Aussie batsman, set a death trap that had every fielder fielding in a vicious semi-circle around the batsman and gave the orders.... to fire that lethal cricket ball at the BATSMEN and not at the stumps. The results were astonishing as the English team maimed and battered the Aussies and won the Ashes.
Infamous? yes. Unsporting? yes. Effective? YES!
Although I do not subscribe to Jardine’s philosophy, that one series immortalized the man.
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A couple of Honorary mentions
Imran Khan
for leading Pakistan to a great world cup victory and for his amazing persona on and off the field.
Ricky Ponting
for being a ruthless and a very successful captain (although i’m not fond of him)
Its a list of five and I have given my reasons for my picks. Need to vent? Use the comments section.
Feel like I didnt do justice to this? Hit the WRITE REVIEW button and jot your five.
cheers.
~finis~
PS: Facts and figures verified using online sources (as its hard to remember everyone’s records and stuff.