CLOSE-IN: Luck is essential to be a good leader and a cricket captain (IANS Column)

Leadership has many essential qualities for one to be successful. The element of luck or being there at the right time and in the right place, one feels, prevails over everything. In cricket, it is even more prominent, as the game has so many uncertainties attached to it.

The two national captains who are looked upon as good leaders at present are Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma. Both of them have been put onto that pedestal because of victories in the 3 cricket formats of the World Cup.

The reality, however, is that India and Australia at present have a formidable cricket team and they seem to be a few notches superior to the rest. It is not the analytics that makes a good captain but the innovative thought process, planning and execution on the field that differentiates one.

In the present context, one feels that Ben Stokes, the captain of England, truly exemplifies the traits of leadership. He is one who thinks out of the box, takes up challenges, follows his intuition and is not scared to lose in doing so. England may not be at the top of the chart at present in the Test Championship table, however, the dynamism that the England side displays under the captaincy of Ben Stokes truly exemplifies him as a top class leader.

The limited overs version in the game of cricket is not a good benchmark to proclaim whether a leader has the abilities, characteristics and capabilities to be actually rated high or low. The fielding and bowling restrictions, infused to make cricket attractive, do not actually bring in innovative thinking. The element of luck plays a big part in which the bowler prays for a batsman’s error, as the batter is compelled to play aggressively on account of the restricted balls available.

The recent win for India in the T20 World Cup was a good example of a game in which South Africa looked set to win, however, a few awry strokes was all it took to change the fortune of the game. There were barely any skills of leadership or captaincy involved as the use of the bowler and the field placements were restricted. Limited overs game in the past have also gone through such situations. The essential initiative of a definite result makes it imperative for one to take chances.

In the fast paced world that one lives in presently, a draw in cricket is frowned upon and a definite result has become an essential part of the game.

Fortunately, cricket has found an outlet through the limited overs versions of the game, however, to distinguish a good leader from an average one can only be judged through a captains ability in the conventional form of the game of “Test Cricket”.

I once asked Tiger Pataudi, the Indian captain then, as to how good a captain his rival West Indian captain, Clive Lloyd was (Pataudi, in 1974-75 series came back to lead India against the West Indies after India were 2-0 down to make it 2-2). His reply was that with the West Indian fast bowling attack that was at Lloyd’s command, there was not much tactics or planning required. The only skill was to keep his bowlers rotating and fresh, with a field that had more players behind the batsman than in front. Thereafter, it was a question of time when a batter would make an error.

Lloyd’s West Indian side ruled the roost for a decade and were then rated as one of the best teams to have played the game. The acumen of leadership, however, was seen in the way Pataudi utilized his players, who looked to be a beaten side to match up to the West Indians.

Ajit Wadekar, was another Indian captain who, in 1971, got India a series win against the West Indies and England. The two opposing captains in, Sir Garfield Sobers and Ray Illingworth, were known to be astute leaders. For Wadekar to have out-manoeuvred them showcased brilliant captaincy and shrewd leadership.

Mike Brearley, the England captain in the 70s and 80s, was considered to be the best. Having played against him, while he was a brilliant tactician, his captaincy went totally off-key when an unconventional player like Sir Vivian Richards was on song. Even the best can falter when one is pitted against superstars and geniuses of the game.

In India, cricket captaincy comes through respect and good man management skills. Communicating with your fellow players and showing no bias is a very essential quality. Saurav Ganguly showcased this trait in the last 2 decades when he led India. Although in his short stint as a captain, so did Ajinkya Rahane. Both of them were instrumental in getting the Indian side back on their feet when they looked down and out.

Rohit Sharma, one feels, is proving to be a cool, intelligent, and caring captain. With his experience and the T20 World Cup win, he has the ability, capability, and respect of the team that are essential to becoming a great leader.

India’s Test matches against the charged Bangladesh side having just beaten Pakistan and New Zealand, should not be much of a challenge. However, it is the series against Australia that will finally decide where Rohit actually stands in the captaincy hierarchy.

Most likely, Rohit Sharma will get a shot at becoming a winning captain of the Test World Championship side, if India qualifies for the final.

India, have the players and a captain, it just needs that essential piece, “Luck”.

(Yajurvindra Singh is a former India cricketer. The views expressed are personal.)