5 stand-in captains who have an excellent record
Captaincy is more than an art in Cricket. It involves mustering several elements like leadership, immense concentration and awareness, man-management, sacrifices, strategizing and empathizing on and off the field. Few captains take the role like a duck takes to water and few others learn the tricks of the trade along with time.One of the most important aspects of captaincy from a team management perspective is to identify the deputy/successor for the role. Again, some successors are identified at an early stage given their innate abilities while some are identified at a later stage.A few matches of stand-in captaincy in the absence of the captain will prove as an acid test for many. It will be bestowed on some other player in the absence of both the captain and the vice-captain. The role of stand-in captains can be double-edged. Few players take up the responsibility with much less pressure as it is a temporary role, but the same temporary responsibility overwhelms few players. It has been a case of hit and miss for most of the players. Only a few have delivered. Here are 5 of them:
#1 Shane Warne
Every cricket team would consider themselves blessed to have him as a spinner. Unarguably, he is one of the greatest spinners in the history of the game. But, have Australia missed one of the greatest captains too? Not that there was a dearth of captaincy in their ranks anyway. But, he will always remain as one of those few bowlers who could have gone on to become an astute leader of the game. His records as a stand-in captain seem to reflect that belief.
He had the opportunity to lead his country in ODIs for 11 matches in the absence of Steve Waugh. He managed to win 10 of those 11 matches at an impressive win percentage of 90.90. It is not just the results that stand a testimony to his potential. His aggressive tactics and progressive approach drew plenty of admirers.
He seemed like a natural leader who inspired his men with ease. Michael Clarke and Richie Benaud consider him as one of the greatest captains that could have been. He never got the chance to captain Australia in Tests though. Unfortunately, his turbulent relationship with the board because of his boorish off-field behavior meant that he was never considered for the full-time role.
His Australian captaincy stint apart, he has also captained the Rajasthan Royals to victory at the inaugural IPL. That victory showcased his true captaincy potential as he inspired a relatively unknown side to the crown. To cap it off, he was almost 40 when he did that.