Captains in Cricket World Cup- Part 1

I am writing this blog on the CAPTAINS in CRICKET WORLD CUP, I will release the blog in  two parts. I will try to bring some interesting example during this.

In cricket there are eleven players, who were actually playing on the cricket field during the match. One player among the 11 players takes on field decisions. His job becomes more similar to the captain of the ship. In cricket the on field captain should be the best player of the team.

It is not necessary that he should be the best batsman or best bowler of the side, but as an individual he must possess sound knowledge of all the aspects covering on field as well as off field matters. Captain should have good cricketing brain that can take right decision in most critical situation. The history also shows that in cricket like in all other areas of life, the great captains had the quality of leading by example.

When we analyze the world cup winning teams from 1975 to 2007, the conclusion comes that all these teams had great leader. The teams able to win the world cup only because the kind of individual influence they had on their team, not only as captain but also as a leader.

“Every leader can become captain, but every captain may not have the leadership quality. The captain, who will be able to inspire his team up in a situation which doesn’t favor them, by setting an example, has the ability to achieve the greatness”.

World Cup Captains:

Clive Lloyd:

Clive Lloyd was the captain of two world cup winning teams 1975 & 1979. At that time West Indies had an exceptional aura around them, they were able win the matches even before actually playing it. In 1975, in first ever world cup final, when Clive Lloyd came in to bat West Indies was struggling for 50/ 3, he stood out for his team and played masterful innings of 102 runs and won the world cup of 1975. His innings triggered and inspired his whole team to do better.

Kapil Dev:

If we can divide the Indian cricket in two different eras, it must be time before 1983 and time after 1983. The team which was not expected to win a single game in a world cup emerged as winner of the world cup in 1983. In a game against Zimbabwe in 83 world cup, Indian scorecard was showing five wickets and only 17 runs were on the board, at this crunch time the Captain Kapil Dev walks in, and he straight away counter attacked on Zimbabwe, it was raining fours and sixes on the ground. Kapil Dev scored 175* with 16 boundaries & 6 sixes. 

When he walked out for batting, the situation was very difficult and it could have gone either ways. But he knew, attack was the best defense at that time and he played blistering innings to see that India wins the match. The video of this inning is not available, but as the other Indian players speak out about his innings, Ravi Shastri in one of his interview said that after the match against Zimbabwe, team was actually started believing that they could win it from here. The Haryana Hurricane Kapil Dev blew away Zimbabwe and inspired India to World Cup glory. 

Another incident the team member still remember was in the final against West Indies. In final match India had very small total of 183 runs to defend and Sir Vivian Richards was hammering Indian bowler. Everyone knows that he was the key wicket for India. Again Kapil inspired his team by taking unbelievable catch, he ran almost 15 steps backwards to take very important catch of Sir Vivian Richards, and it was the turning point of that match. Richards told in an interview that "no else could have taken that catch except the Indian Captain Kapil Dev".

Allan Border:

Border was leading Australia in very difficult times in 1987 World Cup; however they had made their way to the final by surprising Pakistan in semis. The final was against England. The British team was chasing a moderate target of 254 runs. Mike Getting was the captain of England team and was the batsman of whom Aussies wants to see the back as early as possible. Getting was playing on 41 runs from 45 balls, and England team was in good position to win the world cup. At this point Allan Border was taken decision to bowl himself, this decision involved high amount of risk and could have boom ranged on him as he was not regular bowler.  To the first ball of Border’s Getting tried to reverse sweep and gave away his wicket, the Australian’s joy was unconcealed. Mike Getting’s wicket was the turning point of the match and Australian team won the Reliance World Cup 1987 under the leadership of Allan Border. 

(To be continued ......)