Captaincy at club level is the one place in cricket you can find better players than you see in the professional game.
And it’s also the place you can see some horrific butchering of the art of captaincy. If it’s bad enough it could cost your club dearly, as this story shows.
During a short stint at a club two years ago, I played with a captain who used to smoke while standing at mid-on.
Not when a wicket fell.
Not during the drinks break.
As the bowler was running in, he was puffing away on a roll up.
And it didn’t end there.
If the ball went through midwicket, he would move square leg to midwicket. If the ball went through square leg next ball, he would move the midwicket back to square leg.
On one occasion, the slip was removed and reinstated three times.
For the same batsman.
In the space of nine overs.
He shouted at players who fumbled the ball.
He singled out players for ridicule who dropped a catch.
He changed bowlers after one or two bad balls.
Can you imagine how horrible it was playing cricket under him?
But the biggest issue I had with this captain was during the net sessions. He would stand and inform the players what shot they should be playing; “Cover drive”, “Forward defensive” or “You should’ve pulled that”. The list was endless.
When it was his turn to bat he would repeatedly try at hit the ball out of the net, regardless of the delivery, often missing and being clean bowled. When I approached him after the session and asked why he does not bat as he encourages everybody else to bat, he replied, “because I’m a first change bowler and you should do as I say not as I do.”
This is the most destructive, disheartening attitude a captain can have.
He had to be stopped or the team was going to fall apart. He had forgotten the vital amateur captain’s job of keeping everyone happy and motivated to give up their Saturday afternoons to play cricket.
So I tried. I kept a positive attitude when approaching him about the problem. I suggested basic coaching plans based on professional advice.
I set an example in the field by encouraging my team mates.
I even asked for an organised and honest meeting where everybody can contribute to the future of the team, going to the first team captain for support.
How could he argue with any of that?
Unfortunately, this particular individual was stuck in his ways, did not want to improve and was happy to get beaten every week.
We played our last game of that season with eight players. We were relegated.
I found out months later the club folded. Not only did the club suffer throughout the season by losing matches - the bad attitude of the captain cost the club its very existence.
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