Mohammad Yousuf – the unsuccessful captain By Dr Nauman Niaz

[Savak]

Mohammad Yousuf – the unsuccessful captain

By Dr Nauman Niaz

Mohammad Yousuf, one of country’s most successful batsmen, hasn’t been able to show his influence as a captain. He hasn’t won an overwhelming support of the cricket-watching essentially frenzied Pakistanis. He became a premier batsman because of his dogged determination and meticulous execution of natural flamboyance and talent. Nonetheless, inherent void didn’t see him having grip on the crucial elements needed for successful captaincy, and he didn’t really cover the full job description from team selection to personal motivation, from field-placing to dealing with the situations. He didn’t really look into at the different demands on a captain on tour and didn’t consider the respective captaincy skills of other Test captains he must have observed during his long career.

Yousuf has lost it. The ideal captain just doesn’t exist. How could he? What human being could possibly combine the qualities of tactical guru, a General, thoughtful counsellor, supreme man-manager, excellent motivator, skilled in media relationships and overflowing with luck? It is part of cricket’s charm that all captains try to conceal their weak spots while hoping that their positive virtues will paper over the cracks and get their players performing to their full potential. Yousuf couldn’t conceal even his low confidence and lack of expectation.

Yousuf as captain has fallen down completely in almost all the requirements of captaincy. And his passive presence in Australia has shown a man-management problem; and as for bytes in the media, he hasn’t been able to keep people awake at nights. Yousuf failed comprehensively in understanding that captaincy was fundamentally about commonsense and about influencing his team’s style of play in a positive manner. Down Under he couldn’t set the right example in terms of fitness and attitude to his profession. It was also important that the captain actually enjoyed his job, Yousuf, as evident didn’t even smile for a minute. Distressed, disparaged and disillusioned. He underscored his presence as Pakistan’s captain.

He was also there in Australia with a handicap. It could have helped if as Pakistan captain he could see the coach eye to eye in matters like forward planning. He wasn’t really lucky to have had Intikhab Alam, on the wrong side of the age by his side during most of his time as in charge. He hasn’t been favourite of the media, partly because he didn’t try becoming a buffer between the captain and the players to take some of the pressure off them and also, he didn’t fit in the cozy theories in adverse conditions.

Yousuf’s biggest failure has been his inability to rub a player up the wrong way with a sergeant major style or his inability to plan and behave like a General. He didn’t take up essential chores that could carry the plans forward and also not being able to encourage his shaken players. He should have realized, he needed to be keen on giving players a fair crack of the whip once they had been picked for the Tests. Loyalty cements team spirit and the fact that he couldn’t find even a tiny particle of commitment and determination-that killed Yousuf’s future as captain.

Link: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-2-2010_pg2_10

[Foozee]

fully agree

[Sledger]

I hate to say I told you so...........