COACHING : You Don't Have To Be Captain to Be an Influential Leader

Cricket is supremely unpredictable. It’s the players who can take responsibility under pressure that turn difficult situations into measured wins. These players are the true leaders of a side, whether they are captain or not.

Sometimes chasing 150, you crumble. Other times you chase down 260 when at one stage you were 22-3. These things happen so often in this exciting game that they are hardly seen as abnormalities. This is just cricket. But this is what defines good teams and players. They don’t let a bunch of quick wickets take the game away from them.

I remember once a team mate showed the sense of leadership and set an example for everyone. That day I saw a young boy become a genuine cricketer.

We were playing a competitive college cricket match. Our team had a balanced combination. The game was played on a placid track. We lost the toss and the opposition captain batted first. We bowled well and restricted them for 210 in 40 overs. We required a run rate of just over five which was very manageable given our batting lineup and condition of the pitch.

We started brightly and were soon 35-0 in six overs. It was the ideal start as I watched from the dressing room waiting to come at three. Against the run of play we lost two wickets and both the openers were back in the pavilion. That brought me and my captain to the crease.

Pressure was building up.

 

Shortly, my captain also departed leaving us with the score of 49-3 in ten overs. We were suddenly under pressure. Out walked a batsman who was aggressive in nature. He came to me and said that skipper had asked him to occupy the crease no matter what.

I watched him play down a couple of overs without much scoring. Meanwhile I also got out rather carelessly.

But that guy was solid as a rock

Wickets kept tumbling and we were six down for 90 odd runs and were soon seven.

The defeat looked inevitable.

 

Except nobody had told our hero. He kept calm and carried the batting. He was ice cool, solid and patient. He occupied the crease and put away only loose balls.

 

At that age and stage, having such temperament was the first of its kind. I have never seen a kid so young play so responsibly. This was doubly impressive as the rest of the batting order kept letting him down.

 

It was a nail biting encounter which left me realising that you don’t have to be a captain to lead by example. He had won us the game almost single-handed.

 

You just have to do whatever is best of the team, play one ball at a time and set an excellent example for the rest of your team mates.