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Warne spin to coaching and captaincy
Monday, May 26 2008
There are captains and there are leaders. Shane Warne belongs to the latter category. The Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament that is in its homestretch has been a revelation as far as the eight men who are captains. Warne has stood out in this august group of players who have had the onerous task of captaining a bunch that is as diverse as the five fingers of your hand.
As visible as Warne’s captaincy and leadership, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been low-profile for the Chennai Super Kings with his cool demeanor and a rather philosophical attitude. In fact, the two would make for fascinating study of contrast with Warne being more vocal and intense and Dhoni very subtle, yet as effective.
The IPL has brought together players from varying background, nationalities and cultures and each with his own mindset. Thus, captaining an IPL team has been a far different and tougher proposition than leading one’s National or State or club side. If anything, Warne has shown how it can be done best as he has led Rajasthan Royals to the top of the leaderboard with inspiring leadership.
The other day, Warne spoke at length about his captaincy and was rather too modest when referring to his dual role as coach-cum-captain as a mere “title”. He even sought to play down his performance as a captain who has forged the team into such a fierce and combative unit that he has been the envy of all.
“It is all about attitude and approach to the game,” Warne said the other day, reflecting on his captaincy. “Basically, I am only a captain of the side and I am putting my first-class experience to good use,” he said when told of Ian Chappell’s comment that Warne was the best captain Australia never had.
Watching Warne conducting the training and practice drills, it was obvious that he was enjoying every bit of his responsibility always ready to pass on valuable tips to bowlers or in some instances, the batsmen. But more significantly, his eagle eye never missed anything and virtually at every opportunity, he sought to rally his troops around him, urging them to lift their game and commitment. In short, his involvement was total and very visible.
Such has been Warne’s contribution to the success of Royals that it is being whispered in some quarters that the Aussie legend could be up for coaching National teams. But then, Warne precluded such speculation with a sweeping remark that international teams do not need a coach.
“An international team does not need a coach. It is the cricketers at the first-class, domestic and junior levels who require one. When you get to play at the international level, you are usually experienced and know how to go about your game,” said Warne, thus dispelling any notions that he had coaching as a long-term career option.
After all, Warne has been through the rough and tumble of life, and for him, the IPL is just another platform to showcase his talent as a cricketer, a legendary leg-spinner and of course, captain who believes that motivation is half the battle won.
Yusuf Pathan, the burly all-rounder and brother of the more famous Irfan, testified that Warne had transformed his game. “He has been a motivating factor for me in the Royals team, encouraging me and also showing confidence in my ability. I have learnt a lot from Warne about approach and attitude, and this has reflected in my IPL performance,” said Yusuf whose gentle off-breaks and big hitting have been one of revelations for Royals.
So much so that against the Chennai Super Kings the other night at Chepauk, Warne handed the new ball to Yusuf Pathan, a move that sent many an eyebrow climbing heavenwards.
The obvious intention was to deny pace to the opening batsmen and although Yusuf went for a few (31 off three), it meant that Warne had the courage to experiment while daring the opposition. The aggressive streak, so much a hall-mark of a typical Aussie cricketer, was very much in evidence, and something that the Royals have imbibed.
Indeed, it is quite remarkable that besides coaching and captaining, Warne is still able to excel at his primary craft of leg-spin and as the lead bowler for his team. If anything, he has given a new spin to the concept of coaching and captaincy, and therein lie his biggest contribution to the 2008 IPL.
- A R Ramakrishnan
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