5 surprise captaincy picks that went on to become legendary leaders
The art of captaincy holds more importance in cricket than in any other sport. While the manager/coach is in charge in most sports, cricket is a different game altogether as no other team sport goes on for as long as cricket.Hence, the role of a captain becomes pivotal and holds more significance than the coach as most of the decisions need to be made instinctively. A captain also needs to have thick skin as he is at the end of most criticism when things go wrong.Here’s a look at five captains that were surprise choices and went on to have stellar success:
#5 Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakistan’s cricket team looked to have reached a new nadir after the 2010 spot-fixing controversy where their captain Salman Butt was implicated along with their two best fast bowlers: Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. Pakistan looked at the veteran Misbah, who was 36 then, to take charge of the Test team.
Misbah has been Pakistan’s most successful captain, leading them to 17 wins in 38 Tests. By contrast, Imran Khan, who is widely considered to be their best captain, led them to 14 wins in 48 Test matches. After falling into an abyss post the spot-fixing scandal, Pakistan have become a formidable team in Test cricket under Misbah’s steadfast and sincere leadership.