Published: Nov 15, 2013, 09:15 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 21, 2014, 04:15 AM (IST)
Sachin Tendulkar is a leader of men and his voice will always be heard © AFP
For someone who has played 200 Tests, one would expect that person to have captained the team for most part of his career. Not exactly. Sachin Tendulkar made history on November 14, 2013, by becoming the first cricketer to play 200 Tests. Quite surprisingly, he has played only 25 Tests as captain of the Indian side. India’s record when Tendulkar was captain is not the best, but as a leader he has shaped Indian cricket in the right direction, says Shrikant Shankar.
There is a fine line that differentiates a captain from a leader. A captain is a title given to an individual to lead a group of people and guide them. A leader does the same irrespective of having a title to his/her name.
Sachin Tendulkar does not have a flattering record as a captain. He captained India in 25 Tests and led them to victory in only four of them. India lost nine and the other 12 were drawn. His individual records, though, are similar to those in his career. He scored 2,054 runs at an average of 51.35. He also notched up seven centuries and four half-centuries with a highest of 217. It is said that he was either captain at the wrong time or he did not have it in him to guide a team with a name-tag around him.
The game of cricket is such that some of the best of players were never great captains. The finest example in this regard is Garry Sobers. On the other hand, Mike Brearley was an ordinary player, but he ranks among the best captains of all-time. Stephen Fleming is always another who gets the plaudits as a captain, but New Zealand were never world beaters.
Tendulkar was first handed captaincy in 1996 and it did not go well for India. His second stint came after the 1999 World Cup and here too, India’s showing was poor. He finally announced that he will no longer captain the side. At the time, it was a shock, but in hindsight, the decision has been proved for the benefit of the Indian team.
There have been many times, when Tendulkar has influenced the Indian team, and in a good way. He is a leader of men and his voice will always be heard. Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and MS Dhoni have been the captains of the Indian side since Tendulkar decided to step aside. Almost all of them have admitted that at some point it was Tendulkar who led them in the right direction. He got another chance after Dravid stepped aside in 2007. But Dhoni was appointed and it was revealed by Sharad Pawar that it was Tendulkar who suggested that Dhoni should to take over the reins.
It has been proved that making Dhoni captain has worked wonders for India. A leader is not always someone who is officially appointed as captain. A leader is someone who sees the team’s benefit above individual honours and accolades. Tendulkar might not have had a name-tag of a long-standing captain, but there is no denying that his leadership has allowed India to achieve great heights in recent history.
Tendulkar led the team onto the field on Day One of the second Test in his hometown of Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium. Dhoni requested Ganguly to captain India for a brief moment in his very last Test. He might offer the same to Tendulkar. But for now we don’t know whether Tendulkar will accept the offer. What we do know is that Tendulkar will always be considered as a great leader.
(Shrikant Shankar is a writer/reporter at CricketCountry.com. Previously he has done audio commentary for various matches involving India, Indian Premier League and Champions League Twenty20 for ESPNSTAR.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Shrikant_23)
