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CW All-Time XI

watson

Banned
Last edited:

watson

Banned
Sobers IMO. Adventurous and attacking.
Here is Mike Brearleys synopsis of Sobers as a captain;

Clive Lloyd, like Sobers, is a delightful man, but he allowed the West Indies to become cynical in the exercise of power. On the field, he had one equality he shared with Frank Worrell: his restraint and steadiness were important factors in the growing maturity of the West Indies team. But I never felt he had a criketing brain, as he showed by his lack of ideas when handling the ordinary Lancashire attack.

'The Art of Captaincy' p128-129 (in the photographs section)
 

watson

Banned
That reads more like it's about Lloyd. And Sobers never played for Lancashire (according to cricinfo).
Actually you're right. It's confusing because the quote is adjacent to a large photo of Sobers playing a square drive.

Here is the quote I should have written from the same section of Mike Brearley's book;

Gary Sobers was indeed the 'King', the 'Four in One', as his fans called him. But the four did not, in honesty, include captaincy. His leadership depended mainly on his own cricketing skills.
 

Jager

International Debutant
Actually you're right. It's confusing because the quote is adjacent to a large photo of Sobers playing a square drive.

Here is the quote I should have written from the same section of Mike Brearley's book;
Very interesting insight, I am keen to find a copy of the book. Are there any standout captains that Brearley rates?
 

kyear2

International Coach
Sobers, was good tactically and was a sporting captain, but didn't nurture his players or lead off the field. Viv handled his attack even better than LLoyd but rubbed many the wrong way with his abrasive personality. Imran motivated with out turning off people like Viv did, though he also used threats and aggession, but his level of success never rivalled that of Lloyd, Richards, Ponting or Bradman, additionally his level of fielding would not be example setting. My choice has to be the Don, he showed he knew how to handle great fast bowlers (though in his day the new ball came every 55 overs) and spinners. Also in a team with so much ego's the leader has to one above reproach and that person is Bradman. My choice for deputy is Gilchrist, a team player who has the best view of the field and no ego to challenge Bradman.
Plus lets be honest, Marshall, Warne and Imran set their own fields any way, the captain is here to inspire and rotate these great bowlers.
 

Jager

International Debutant
Sobers, was good tactically and was a sporting captain, but didn't nurture his players or lead off the field. Viv handled his attack even better than LLoyd but rubbed many the wrong way with his abrasive personality.
Interested to know what you mean by that, I haven't heard too much against Viv's on-field talent but I have not heard much said in general about his personality.
 

kyear2

International Coach
Yet your first choice XI has McGrath rather than any of the fire breathing pacers...
He is because he is the perfect compliment to Imran and Marshall and all three brings something different to the table. Additionally few were more i your face and agressive than Glenn. All I said was that some extra pace would be better in the reserves if required. Hadlee was Mcgrath light (IMHO) and brings the same qualities to the table. Lillee was a different beast all together.
 

smash84

The Tiger King
As captain, if unwilling to choose Bradman or Hutton because they are a little stale.
Imran surely the best captain of the lot.

Sobers captaincy isn't that great.

Given that the Don is the automatic selection in the team he would probably be the captain. Warne would probably also be a better bet than Sobers (but we'll never know)
 

kyear2

International Coach
He did not suffer fools happily. Mistakes were not easily accepted. He was strict and he was hard on his players and after Lloyd, many didn't like it.
 

Jager

International Debutant
He did not suffer fools happily. Mistakes were not easily accepted. He was strict and he was hard on his players and after Lloyd, many didn't like it.
He did always come across as a very serious man to me, not one for joking around, although I may be wrong. I heard someone say he became obsessed with employing short-pitched deliveries and hostile bowling whilst he was captain, too... are either of my points correct?
 

kyear2

International Coach
These videos of Hadlee bowling to the West Indies may give you food for thought. Please note the leg-cutter that bowled Desmond Haynes in the first one;

Richard Hadlee 6 for 50 vs West Indies in the 3rd test 1986_87 - YouTube

Richard Hadlee 5/34 & 6/68 vs West Indies 1979/80 1st test - YouTube
This video epitamises what I question about Hadlee. The empiring in that series was beyond atrocious, and his attitude was, yea but they should have handled it better. That occured every time we went there and was a large key to his and their success againts us. New Zealand one one of the couple of teams known to have favourable home umpires during that era.

Additionally those clips didn't show speed or agression, just his coridor bowling which Mcgrath did even better than him.
 

smash84

The Tiger King
This video epitamises what I question about Hadlee. The empiring in that series was beyond atrocious, and his attitude was, yea but they should have handled it better. That occured every time we went there and was a large key to his and their success againts us. New Zealand one one of the couple of teams known to have favourable home umpires during that era.

Additionally those clips didn't show speed or agression, just his coridor bowling which Mcgrath did even better than him.
:blink::blink::blink:

In the 1986-87 six fer how does Hadlee enlist the umpire's help? He gets two out bowled and 4 caught in the slips?

New Zealand one of the couple of teams to have favorable home umpiring?

I guess any team who did well against the WI during that time must be in this block 8-).
 

kyear2

International Coach
You do know that even they admitted to the home help afterwards. Every one knew about it. It was a fact. But lets not diverge from the thread topic.
 

Jager

International Debutant
What about Warne as vice? Personal life aside (which should never matter, to be honest) he would be a very nice balance to Bradman's more uniform captaincy.
 

watson

Banned
Very interesting insight, I am keen to find a copy of the book. Are there any standout captains that Brearley rates?
Richie Benaud: 'One of the great captains.'
Peter May: 'One of England's best captains'.
Ray Illingsworth, Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell and Tony Greig: 'Four of the best captains of my time, all strong characters and determined to win.'
Frank Worrell: 'Worrell was a fine captain.'

Mike Brearley didn't rank captains in any particular order of preference like Dickie Bird did in his biography. However, he does make pointed remarks about many different individuals. Richie Benaud seems to be his favourite while Cowdrey seems to be his least favourite; 'Cowdrey's problem was himself; he lacked decisiveness, and was too concerned about how things (and he) looked.'

But you may have a different take when you get around to reading Brearley's book. It really is worth buying Jager.
 

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