The warlords, they are gone

UMPIRE'S POST

In most team sports, in which the thinking stops and execution begins at the whistle, the coach has come to acquire the position of pre-eminence. Enough for Alex Ferguson of Manchester United to hurl a shoe at his captain, David Beckham. Not so in cricket. Given the game's unique, non-linear nature, the man who calls the shots on the field of play is the real boss.

Naturally, the game has seen some extraordinary personalities as captains. Some were such good players that it was impossible not to make them captain when the time came. Thus, Don Bradman's leadership skills are hardly ever discussed. It is assumed that the strength of his team "" dubbed the Invincibles "" was such that victory was a foregone conclusion.

Some others were not the best player in the team, but outstanding leaders and built cohesive, winning units. From the modern era, Ian Chappell, Clive Lloyd, Mike Brearley, Alan Border and Stephen Fleming readily come to mind.

Imran Khan combined the two and ruled Pakistan cricket like any of the neighbouring warlords; he spotted players at random and pitchforked them into the international arena. That is how the best-ever old-ball duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis came together and Inzamam became a phenomenon. There was also a flip side to Imran's dominance, as seen in the premature end to the career of Qasim Omar, who locked horns with the skipper.

Steve Waugh was a refined version of Imran. Although he became captain much too late, at 34, and quit at 38, he used this time well to build an all-conquering team and re-define Test cricket. Sourav Ganguly, on the other hand, was a slightly crude version of Waugh.

There is a striking, distressing aspect to this mini-anthology. Ganguly and Fleming are no longer captain and the others have retired. In fact, one can say that the era of warlords, even though they continue in non-sporting arena, is over in cricket. The establishment has ensured that.

BCCI has always been good at snuffing out challenge. Pataudi was Steve Waugh Version 1.0. Gavaskar was a master strategist. Often derided for his defensive approach, he was a captain shaped by his weak team. Both were severely undermined by the board. And the other boards have quickly learned.

The manner of Waugh's exit showed the Australian captain his place. Ponting's churlish ways will not lift it. Vettori, much like a likeable librarian, will never fill up Fleming's shoes. Pakistan won't allow another Imran to develop. And BCCI is at it again. Dhoni, given his youth and early success, had potential. But he was taken care of by splitting the post of India's captain.