Both these fine captains have had fingers pointed at them. While MS Dhoni (L) is conveniently termed ‘lucky’ whenever his side wins a Test, Misbah-ul-Haq (R) is deemed unfit for the overs-limit format by a few supporters © Getty Images
By Karthik Parimal
As soon as Pakistan went down to Australia in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq would have sensed that he’d have a barrage of questions to answer. It’s not because Pakistan played badly; in fact, they put up a decent performance and fought till the end. Misbah has copped it in plenty in the recent past whenever his side has slumped - albeit a little. He wouldn’t have been one bit surprised when former Pakistani cricketers too joined in the choir questioning his tactics and methods after the recent defeat. Agreed, Pakistan has suffered a second successive one-day series loss under his tenure, but is that enough to write off a player and a leader of his calibre?
One person who can certainly empathise with Misbah’s position is his Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Hardly four months after winning the coveted World Cup in 2011, India suffered one of its most humiliating defeats in a Test series. One knew that the aftereffects of it were going to be unpleasant, but instead of analysing where the real problem lay, a few of the Indian supporters began questioning Dhoni’s ability as a captain. Some of his critics believed that the team’s problems would magically vanish into thin air once a new, able captain was appointed. Such voices gained in momentum all the more after the conclusion of the Australian tour.
Both these fine captains have had fingers pointed at them, from former players and armchair critics alike, as soon as their respective sides hit troubled waters. While one skipper is deemed unfit for the overs-limit format by a few supporters, the other is conveniently termed ‘lucky’ whenever his side wins a Test. The appalling fact is how easily people questioning Misbah’s place in the ODI side forget that he averages 42.18 in the format, has a strike-rate of almost 75, and does his job devoid of any hassles. On the other hand, Dhoni averages 38.45 in Tests and has played some crucial knocks during crucial junctures of the game, the knock in the second innings of the second Test against New Zealand being the case in point. What more can you expect from a lower-order batsman left to bat with the tail?
Apart from batting, one other area where Dhoni has drawn heavy flak during recent times is for his defensive field-placements and strategies in Tests. It’s a flaw that certainly needs to be ironed out, but to call for his captaincy to be stripped for this one reason is naïve. As Arunabha Sengupta mentioned in one of his articles, no other player in the Indian line-up is currently more suited for the job than Dhoni himself. He’s not only been one of India’s best wicket-keeper batsmen, but has also fared better than Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman in recent times. Moreover, the way he has handled the senior players and the youngsters learning the ropes in the side is commendable. It’s important to look at the whole picture and not just the recent decline.
Misbah, too, deserves a pat on the back for stepping up to the plate when Pakistan cricket was in a state of turmoil. Not to forget, he also had to deal with the inflated ego of one of his teammates. Despite some drastic changes in the side, he managed to hold them together as a unit. Misbah’s record as a captain is not bad either.
Below are the statistics (as captain):
|
Format |
Played |
Won |
Lost |
Draw |
Tied |
NR |
|
Test |
17 |
9 |
1 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
|
ODI |
31 |
19 |
11 |
NA |
0 |
1 |
|
T20 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
NA |
0 |
0 |
Despite maintain such a slate, it’s surprising how often he’s been admonished for his tactics. Whether such harsh criticism is typical of the subcontinent regions or is rampant everywhere is a point that can be endlessly debated.
Would Graeme Smith have earned similar respect if he was from the subcontinent, considering the fact that there is not even a single ICC event trophy in his cabinet yet? He would no doubt have been praised to the skies for steering the team to the No.1 position in the rankings, but that would have been negated by a flurry of criticism for failing to perform on the big stage in a tournament involving multiple teams.
All in all, it’s a pity that Dhoni and Misbah have had to answer unfair questions, on a consistent basis, despite having performed fairly well throughout in all departments of the game. While such extreme reactions are not unusual from supporters in the subcontinent, the fact that the former players, who’ve been in such situations in their playing days, join the bandwagon of criticisers is surprising.
(Karthik Parimal, a Correspondent with CricketCountry, is a cricket aficionado and a worshipper of the game. He idolises Steve Waugh and can give up anything, absolutely anything, just to watch a Kumar Sangakkara cover drive. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/karthik_parimal)
