…and reports thatEngland coach Peter Moores will also step down highlight the problems of trying to marry ego and responsibility in cricket captaincy. Many of the top sportsmen in the world carry huge egos, indeed many of the lesser lights carry them as well, but cricket captaincy requires a lot more that personal ability if the job is to be done well. Perhaps that’s where Pietersen fell down, because outside his batting excellence, there was little else to commend him as an England captain, other than his place on the team was secure, and he obviously wanted the job.
Clashes of strategy or personality should have been set aside for the common good of the team, but obviously Pietersen felt he was bigger than the team, the coach, and the Board, as he put his head on the block demanding certain assurances. Inevitably he suffered the consequences when the ECB directorate took a different view.
Looking back atEngland captains and their successes and failures, we cannot forget the magic of Mike Brearly and his excellent man management skills that set him apart. Although he was a competent opener, his batting ability was often criticised, but never his captaincy. Brearly was ahead of the game by years, but never one to court the limelight, nightclubs or newspaper headlines. Compare his role and success as a captain with the more extrovert Geoffrey Boycott, Ian Botham, and Freddie Flintoff! Perhaps even Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar?
There’s nothing wrong with being confident, but confidence and ego are two different characteristics, and right now with the benefit of hindsight, many people must be questioning the exit of Michael Vaughan. Despite his form lapse, Vaughan was a very good captain who had the respect of his both his team and his coach, even if his personal form suffered. As has been said on many occasions; “Form is temporary, class is permanent.”
The same could be said for local cricket, although club captains tend to be leaders who have the time and commitment to devote to their club 24/7. We have had some excellent club captains in local cricket down the years, and they came in all shapes, sizes and types. Few can match the legendary Willie Andrews for durability after captaining North Down for 39 years, but in modern times we’ve had some fine captains who were able to combine a competitive streak with genuine sportsmanship. In my era I place players like Michael Reith, Alfie Linehan, Herbie Parkhill, Davy Napier, Stephen Warke, Jim Patterson, and Paul Jackson as captains of this ilk, although there was always a certain amount of begrudging respect for the unique and successful leadership styles of Derek McCann, Conn McCall, Simon Burrowes, Robin Haire, Chris Davis, Norman Shaw, and a host of North-West captains who seemed to feel aggression and being abrasive went with the job!
We have also had some interesting Ireland captains over the years. Current incumbent William Porterfield is a player’s captain, much like Kyle McCallan or Trent Johnston in that they don’t court personal media focus or harbour huge personal egos that lead to confrontation with management. Most Ireland captains in the past thirty years have been of this ilk, but there have been a few exceptions, the most notable being one Dermott Monteith. I doubt if any Irish captain had a bigger ego than Monty, but if there was anyone who could carry it off, then it was certainly the Lisburn man. Monty strutted the cricket field like a seasoned actor strutted the stage, and he had little time for people whom he didn’t rate. The criteria was sometimes difficult to understand, and to his friends this seemed to be selective, but to those who were less complimentary, it was arrogance and egotistical. The truth was that there was a bit of each in Monty’s complex personality, but as always, the saving grace was that he produced the goods on the field. Despite his personality frailties, his record as a player and as a captain is unrivalled, and stories of his extraordinary maverick style of leadership are part and parcel of Irish cricket folklore. Monty would probably see a lot of himself in Kevin Pietersen, but unlike the greatest Irish bowler of all time, we won’t see KP fulfil any captaincy aspirations as he has pressed the self-destruct button and is out of the picture after only three games in charge.
Monty could certainly have shown him a trick or two!
Clarence Hiles
Editor
