All about Test cricket captains

All about Test cricket captains – Part II

The captain of a cricket team, at times also referred to as the skipper, is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of the 10 others in the playing XI. In cricket, the main role of the captain is to act as a sort of intermediary between the coaching sta and the rest of the team. He becomes part player, part selector or even part coach/mentor, and must be able to successfully balance the various pressures that come with the multiple responsibilities.

As in any other sport, the captain is usually the person who is the most experienced in the squad. However, there have been several instances in Test cricket where the captain has been the least experienced member of the squad.

The captain also needs to have good communication skills and is most likely to be a certainty in the playing XI, as he is responsible for the team selection. It is his task to go out for the toss before the start of a match and then take a call as to whether his side bats or elds rst. During the match, the captain decides the team’s batting order, which bowler will open the bowling, who are his rst and second bowling changes, and where each elder will be positioned. While the captain has the nal say, decisions taken on the eld or in the dressing rooms

are often collaborative. A captain’s knowledge of the complexities of cricket strategy and tactics, and shrewdness in the eld may contribute signicantly to the team’s success. Excelling as a cricket captain requires the incumbent to have a thorough understanding of how the game is played, the ability to strategise, and at the same time lead his teammates both on and o the eld.

Nowadays, with the coaching and support sta as part of the squad, the captain’s decisionmaking responsibilities are less of a burden. This allows him to fully concentrate on his skills, which are either batting or bowling and at times both. However, despite all that, the captain of a cricket team typically shoulders more responsibility for results than team captains in other sports.

The second part of our series on Test captains looks at their batting performances.

GETTY IMAGES & THE HINDU PHOTO LIBRARY Captains courageous: The three skippers with the highest individual scores in Test cricket: Brian Lara (centre), Mahela Jayawardene (left) and Mark Taylor.