Virat’s aggression good, but may backfire, says Brearley
ART OF LEADING Former England captain feels team could be more uptight if Kohli expects too much MUMBAI:
Former England skipper Mike Brearley lauded India skipper Virat Kohli’s aggressive attitude but stated it must be kept in check or it might affect the team.
“His attitude on the field is terrific but like everything else, if it goes too far, it must become difficult. If he expects too much of people and if he shows his disappointment in them too strongly, then it might put people off and they won’t be such good members of the team. They might be more anxious, more intense, more uptight. So I have a lot of admiration for him,” Brearley said on the sidelines of the Tata Literature Live.
India will take on Australia later this month for a full tour. For the average Indian fan, the term ‘Final Frontier’ has already started doing the rounds. It gives a sense that if the visitors do manage to clinch their maiden Test series Down Under, it would establish them as the best cricketing side — something that the coach and the skipper have been harping about of late.
Kohli is in fine form and with Australia set to miss Steve Smith and David Warner, the visitors are for once a far more confident lot going into the series. However, coming on the back of a 1-2 loss against South Africa and a 1-4 loss to England, it might be the ‘Final Frontier’ before questions are raised over Kohli’s captaincy.
India coach Ravi Shastri has already rubbished the criticism of being poor visitors though, claiming that the team shouldn’t be picked on in this regard given that no team travels well these days. But generalising the problem might not be a solution.
As good as Kohli has been with the bat, there have been questions with his leadership skills and it’ll only grow unless the statistics start improving.
It was quite the opposite for Brearley during his playing days though. One of the finest brains to
If he shows his disappointment in them too strongly, then it might put people off and they won’t be such good members of the team. MIKE BREARLEY, Former England captain BRISBANE:
have graced the pitch, it was his leadership skills that earned him accolades rather than runs scored with the bat. In the 31 Tests in which he had led England, his side had won a staggering 18, losing only four.
Brearley also backed the management’s rotational policy with the team, which has seen Kohli field an unchanged XI only once in 42 Tests. “From a distance, sounds to me as though that he and the selectors have gone a long way in that direction. Sometimes you need to settle a team down. But of course he is right. You have to be willing to change if you think you can improve them,” Brearley said.
“I think there are two eras. One is changing all the time, which maybe he risks. And the other is never-changing, you know you are too complacent, you give people too much of security and you don’t bring in new people often enough. So, there’s no simple answer.”
Asked if he had ever expected an Australian team to come out and voice for an ‘Elite Honesty’ protocol, the 76-year-old said: “I haven’t heard such a term until now. Elite honesty: what does it mean? That’s what Australian cricket is supposed to be? Elitely honest? That’s expecting a lot. You do want straightforwardness in honesty but let’s not be elite about it. Let’s just say ordinary honesty will be good and straightforward.”
Justin Langer, who stepped in as coach of the Australian side post the ball-tampering saga, has stated he wanted the Baggy Green to drop the ‘win at all costs’ motto and be more gentlemanlike out on the ground. The saga also saw Smith, Warner and Cameron Bancroft get banned.
However, in the wake of Australia’s worst run in the ODIs and an equally unimpressive recent form in Tests, there have been calls by the Australian Cricketers’ Association to reduce the bans of the trio. But Brearley feels that bringing them back wouldn’t send the right message.
“I know there’ve been talks. That’s because people were so outraged when it happened and they were very angry and wanted punitive action. Once they saw these people were distraught by it and that it was not quite such a big thing that they felt the bans should be reduced. But I think they probably should serve their time. Once the decision has been made, you should do it but then they should be allowed back and given a fresh start. That’s what I think,” Brearley added.