Great captains have always been great leaders. The job is not about only managing one’s own performance but managing every aspect of the game, and doing it with other 10 players in mind too.
While some play it safe to avoid defeats others play to win. It is on this road of chasing victory that strategy management becomes crucial. The game is as much about striking this balance, as it is about striking the ball.
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi had the mental make-up to set up his team to be aggressive through strategic moves. He was willing to take risks, especially on Indian pitches. Another great captain Ajit Wadekar attacked only when he saw an opportunity.
Sourav Ganguly was one of the finest and most successful Indian captains. He managed his players to ensure that team strategies were executed effectively. He shrewdly used his resources to control the game.
Eventually, though, it all boils down to the strength of the team given to a captain. Unfortunately, on foreign soil, not many Indian captains could be aggressive. Technically and temperamentally the team, even with half a dozen legends in it, was uncomfortable.
The dynamics of the game, though, has changed after the advent of Twenty20. It’s all about aggression. Perhaps the mindset of captains all over the world is to go for wickets from the first ball. The batsmen have moved away from “seeing the shine of the new ball” approach to attacking the ball. In the process, they either play a high percentage of shots, or perish to some intelligent bowling as captains set more attacking fields.
Indian cricket has witnessed an instinctive captain in Dhoni over the last decade. However, instincts prove to be insufficient in the sport, especially as the formats are of different types. To be fair to him though, he led in all three formats of the game, with different sets of players. The point that instincts or lack of inhibition by themselves are not sufficient traits for a captain still stands.
Aggressive captainNow, we have a new captain in Virat Kohli who is termed as an aggressive captain. Kohli’s aggression has spilled beyond the bounds of decision-making before. A person like Kohli in a position of leadership finds unique challenges to contend with, both on and off the pitch.
For Kohli the balancing act will not be between aggression and defence only, but also in segregating his individual aggressive approach from the channelled aggression required for captaincy. Otherwise, he will be providing free fodder to those in the media who grow hungrier, as the competition in the industry reaches fever pitch.
It is in this transition phase that the role of the backroom staff gains significance. It is here that the Director of the team, Ravi Shastri will have to step in to mentor Kohli on the various demands that captaincy makes on an individual. Shastri himself was a great motivator. It will be his responsibility to push Kohli in the right direction and not expose him to controversies. Kohli too should avoid it.
Indian cricket has produced some great captains in the past and now the baton has been passed on to Kohli. Whether he likes it or not he carries forward the legacy of leaders such as Polly Umrigar, Chandu Borde and M.L. Jaisimha and quite a few. They demonstrated the art of achieving balance beautifully.
