***** Best and Worst Test Captains ****

I have always felt captaining a team filled with world beaters, much like Lloyd and Ponting, makes it difficult to gauge how well they captain.

Ponting certainly showed massive cracks once his kingpins in Warne and McGrath retired. Once Ponting himself retired the team went into free fall but has quickly recovered.

My favourite captain of all time, as much as it pains to say it, is Alan Border because he took an ordinary team post Ashes defeat in 1985 and through application, his vision and innovation made Australia great. He was gritty, lead from the from the front and would be killed before losing his wicket. Apart from his leadership qualities, he was an excellent batsman once being the highest scoring test cricketer.

I recall him destroying Windies once with his spin.

Mike Brearley just missed out as my number 1 because although he was the best man manager and motivator, ever for me, he could hardy lead from the front as he was not a test batsman. However tactically he was the best ever.

Michael Clarke never lets a game stand still or drift. He is exceptionally innovative, manages his bowlers well, thinks outside the box and always tries something new. He, like Border, can lead from the front with his exceptional batting skills.

In the 2013 Summer Ashes, he almost pulled it off by his astute captaincy. His innovations does not always lead to the best result for his team but he does not let the game drift as he induces batsmen errors rather that wait for them to make mistakes, like Smith.

Sir Frank for the place in history he occupied and the will to see him fail. He proved those detractors wrong, conducted himself with great dignity and aplomb. Also captained a successful team.

Cook will learn but he is one of the most negative, thoughtless Captain I have seen. Like Ponting, as soon as the winning stopped massive cracks showed in his character and captaincy.

Ian Botham too was diabolical.

I would not cover Sammy as I do not recognise him as a test Captain.

Lloyd had 11 world class players with another 20 in the wings, He is said to be a good man manager. With respect to all those fans, no disrespect meant, but I have never had that much time for Lloyd.

Thoughts?

I will have to say Intikhab Alam  and Imran KHAN were good captains . They always gave the windies champion teams a good fight

Ganguly

Kwami,


I cannot disagree with you the and both could lead from the front.


One always felt Imran could win a game single handedly.


However Intikab was one of the lest successful Captain.


For guys who have captained for more than 10 tests, Waqar, Malik, Miandad, Mustaq were more successful.


I believe Imran captained Pakistan the most.

Good post Mail. this is an issue that has intrigued me for a long time. And I still don't think I have come up with a sufficient answer. I wrote something about it here:
Should We Blame The Captain When His Team fails

I am willing to accept that a bad captain can bring down a good team, but I am not sure that a good captain can transform a bad team into a good one. I also believe that almost anyone could have captained Lloyd's team or Steve waugh's.

my favo cappos:

Frank Worrell
Rohan Kanhai

Rohan was greatly influenced by Sir Frank. 

Nice one Googs,


Kanhai just did not captain as much as he should have. Won 3, lost 3, drawn 4.

Memo to you Folks : The Head Coach is the Boss NOT the Captain !

A moot point assesing Captains strategy when ALL he is doing is following a SCRIPT  :-[

I do not think Clarke follows a script on the field of play.

Yes he may have an overall strategy discussed by coach and team but his innovation cannot be anyone's but his.

Border for example may also not have had a management structure as they have now.

However I think Cook 'may' have been overly influenced by Flower's numbers and analysis.

One key strategy is manipulating your bowlers and the Coach cannot do that especially with changing conditions.

He has to be ....Pup wouldda enforce the Follow On.

The Script said Bat again  :-[