Cricket captain: why it’s important to get it right

THE recent debate around who should captain Zimbabwe cricket on the field of play has been very encouraging, whichever side one is sympathetic to, as it shows that people still care and also that in a sense Zimbabwe Cricket as an organisation is back to functioning ways after a protracted period of disarray.

Certainly the motivations for the debate are strong and clear, and reactions to them are bold and irreversible.

But we must not be under any illusions that changing a captain or simply having one will translate into playing well, because whoever is appointed will still have the same bowlers, same batsmen and same fielders to work with. The more important question to answer is what sort of captain do we need?

Doubtless, a Test captain is what is required because Test cricket is an important element for any country’s sporting scene, and if Zimbabwe does not have a strong Test side then no one will take them seriously.

Thankfully, the cricket administrators in the land have finally realised that if they do not lift the self-imposed suspension from Test cricket soon, the rope they were given by the ICC would assuredly choke them to death. Forget about One Day cricket and that T20 slogging game, the need for any cricket nation to have a solid Test team that does well in their home games in order to interest the crowds when they go abroad is of utmost importance.

As it is, the Zimbabwe cricket team has brittle identity and is in desperate need for strong characters, players with substance and determination backed with charisma. Such is the predictability of the current crop of players, save for a few, that in the heat of battle, when the pressure is exerted a notch or two higher, they capitulate into the doldrums of becoming second best, and to be frank everyone concerned has seen enough.

Fundamentally, electing a good captain and leader with the obligation to advance the team’s cause is a step in the right direction. With all due respect, Elton Chigumbura’s appointment as captain before the World Cup was a mistake. This is not to say it was not a well-intended mistake, but simply an error in judgment. Now let us move on.

It is not feasible to put the burden of captaincy to an all-rounder like Ian Botham, Albie Morkel, Andrew Symonds or Andrew Flintoff, to name but a few quality all rounders the game has seen, and not expect them to be half as good as their original selves. Chigumbura has shown potential over the years, he has not become the worst overnight and his natural aggression to some extent rubbed onto the team during his tenure as the leader, but by his own admission, his performances suffered because it was asking too much of him to excel to the next level of performance while he also had to worry about bowling changes, team lists and field settings, amongst other things.

Admittedly, Zimbabwe does not have the kind of liberty that a country like England has — they can choose three captains for each format of the game simply because they have a large pool of quality players to choose from. Neither are they in the same situation as Australia that has a Michael Clarke who has deputised Ricky Ponting, one of the best captains in the game, and so the transition into power is smoother, or India and MS Dhoni who has the remarkable ability of carrying the hopes of a nation while handling the pressure of the nature of the job seemingly effortlessly.

In this case, if the laws of reason were to apply, amongst the current players to pick a captain from, four candidates are highly likely to be considered. These are top order batsman Hamilton Masakadza; former skipper and current wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu; consistent, gifted and arguably the best batsman in the land Brandon Taylor; and senior citizen and world number two bowler Raymond Price.

Perhaps the name of Hamilton Masakadza may come as a surprise to many given that the man has missed consecutive World Cups and in recent times has struggled to command a place in the national side. His Test century on debut is still in many people’s minds, and it serves as a suggestion that there is some substance there and that there is something to work on, but lack of consistency has been his biggest nemesis. When he is in amongst the runs, Masakadza looks a class act as his astute batting technique blended with aggression does add value to the team at the start of the innings.

He commands respect from his ex-Churchill High School and Takashinga peers and he is no stranger to captaincy as he regularly, and arguably admirably, does the job with the Mountaineers first class side.

Is he the kind of captain we need? He is definitely a strong character given the number of times he has come back from selection setbacks, he has three half centuries and a ton in test cricket, and the burden of captaincy does not seem to affect him as his first class average seems to suggest. The uncertainty arises because Masakadza has no guaranteed spot in the side; no-one ever does but particularly for him because he has taken the fall every time changes have had to be made to the team due to consistency issues.

Sometimes the responsibility of leadership can bring the best out of a person — Pakistan’s Misbah ul Haq has shown that for instance, and perhaps it can also be the case for Masakadza. This is a decision that Alistair Campbell and his selection team will have to make, but given his Test experience, Masakadza still has a lot to offer as captain or as a player.

Crowd favourite Raymond Price is also up for consideration. At 34 years of age, he has worked hard to be recognised as one of the best One-Day bowlers in the world. For a spinner, his aggression is phenomenal, and his exceptional self-belief to compete against the best in the world makes him a darling of the crowd. His age will be a big factor in considering him for the captaincy, as many would doubt the wisdom of electing a person not likely to be part of the team in the long term future. His vast experience at Test and First class level augurs well with the demands of the team though, and it is clear that every time Price is in the side he continues to be part of the team’s brains trust.

Also on the list is Taylor, and he has all the makings of a potential successful captain. His ability with the bat is unquestionable, and he is intelligent in his approach too, an important ingredient that the team needs. Taylor has a commendable work ethic, and this could positively impact on others in the team. The main concern, however, is whether the team is prepared to risk Taylor’s performances and give him the captaincy instead. It is of course not certain if his performances will diminish if accorded captaincy duties, but the possibility cannot be ruled out.

On batting abilities alone, Taylor would be the first person on any team’s batting list, less so on captaincy issues, simply because his duties to score runs for the team are immense enough as they are. Supposedly, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a crack, but it is highly likely that, as the Chigumbura experiment showed, the consequences will outweigh the benefits.

There is a strong case that the smart money should be on Tatenda Taibu, the diminutive wicketkeeper batsman who has held the position before, and all opposition to this view seem to be raising the counter- argument that in 2005 he abandoned the side for two years and so what can stop him from doing it again? This is a debate for another forum, requiring separate attention and his competency as captain ought to take precedence.

From a playing perspective, the wicket keeper position is the best place to control proceedings as you are involved in every ball and are in a better position to view the angles well, and this gives Tatenda an advantage. The man undoubtedly has character, one just does not become the youngest Test captain by chance. But critics argue that since he came back, he has not fully committed himself to the vision of the team, and is instead just happy to quietly carry out his wicket-keeping duties while occasionally taking guard only when absolutely necessary.

It is not a secret that Taibu has had limitless confrontations with the cricket administrators in the land, but such is his feisty and independent demeanor and rest assured he will not change that in a hurry. Is he the kind of captain we need? Yes, because he has done it before, and he is even more mature now. The fact that he is not shy to stand up for what he believes in is the kind of boldness Zimbabwe as a team needs.

Generally, wicket-keeper captains around the world have acquitted themselves well and here names like Sangakara, Dhoni spring to mind. Differences aside, Taibu is a proven fighter, he has experienced captaincy before, in fact captaincy has not affected him in the past, and he has been a senior player in the side now so the weight of responsibility should be given to him anyway. Doing so will ensure players like Taylor, Chigumbura and Masakadza will focus on what matters the most, and that is performing on a regular basis for the team.

Let us not forget, though, that Taibu’s performances during the last world cup were lightweight as his wicket was often taken too cheaply. Ultimately, Taibu still needs to convince his doubters that his past is behind him and that he is committed to the cause, not to himself.

Whoever gets the nod to take over the reins, rest assured the nation eagerly awaits the return to Test cricket after a prolonged absence. Captaincy should be hard-earned. The candidates named above need to be seen working hard for it, and not to expect it to be handed on a silver platter. They need to prove that they are what the job requires, and that captaincy can be confidently put into their hands.