Cricket's worst captaincy decisions

[wpdavid]

That was a strange series because Australia felt like a stronger team yet still lost.

That feeling probably owes its existence to the one-sided draw at the start of the series. Thereafter, England's two wins were pretty comfortable, admittedly not as comfortable as Australia's win at Leeds. And I think England had slightly the better of the mid-series draw.

 

[wpdavid]

Whether or not it was a worse call than Nasser or Root’s, we’d have probably lost those Tests anyway. Edgbaston…not so sure

This. The decision to ask us to bat at Edgbaston probably cost them the game and, ultimately, the Ashes. Apart from any other considerations, England didn't have to face Warne in the fourth innings, and he'd been troublesome enough in the 3rd one.

Brumby's already mentioned the final test in 2009, and quite rightly too. Ponting's other 2009 call for which I'm grateful was at the end of the 1st test when he unleashed Marcus North at Panesar instead inviting his quicks to shift him. Even allowing for the state of the wicket, we all know who Panesar was happier facing.

 

[Shady Slim]

Batting first on a green wicket or swinging conditions can be defended if like Mark Taylor that is your go-to approach regardless of pitch conditions.

no it can't because nobody would say this about bowl first

and if your captain lacks the critical thinking skills to know something as elementary as being able to decide even 75% when it's a good pitch for bowling first then he shouldn't be an international captain

 

[Manee]

I know this is not of the scale of anything else but I recall a T20 or possibly ODI in which official captaincy genius Eoin Morgan put Rashid on to bowl the last over against Mitchell Starc. Instead of Tom Curran. And I just knew that leg spinner vs a left hander is always a massive risk and Starc went on to smash the winning runs.

 

[wpdavid]

Len Hutton deserves a mention for predating Hussain at the start of the 1954/55 Ashes when he too invited Australia to bat. They duly notched up 600+ and won by an innings.

 

[Manee]

McCullum continuing on with his plan to smash Starc in the 1st over of the World Cup final after missing on his first couple of attempts.

Especially as Starc seems a million-times more deadly in his first 10 balls.

 

[subshakerz]

no it can't because nobody would say this about bowl first

and if your captain lacks the critical thinking skills to know something as elementary as being able to decide even 75% when it's a good pitch for bowling first then he shouldn't be an international captain

Taylor went for bat first approach because he felt that with the bowlers at his disposal he would always rather put pressure on the team to chase last. He backed his team to put defendable targets regardless of the conditions at the time of the toss. It was an aggressive stance that played into his team's strengths.

The only case I recall it backfiring was Edgbaston 1997.

 

[Shady Slim]

Taylor went for bat first approach because he felt that with the bowlers at his disposal he would always rather put pressure on the team to chase last. He backed his team to put defendable targets regardless of the conditions at the time of the toss. It was an aggressive stance that played into his team's strengths.

The only case I recall it backfiring was Edgbaston 1997.

just because you have a relentlessly good team that will outgun all comers it doesnt make ridiculously low battery thinking not ridiculously low battery thinking

 

[TheJediBrah]

That was a strange series because Australia felt like a stronger team yet still lost.

They were the stronger team, and were better throughout the series too. Just didn't win the important moments. They were 1 wicket away from winning the first Test by an innings but left with a draw

 

[subshakerz]

just because you have a relentlessly good team that will outgun all comers it doesnt make ridiculously low battery thinking not ridiculously low battery thinking

It isnt though. It was a strategic gamble by a captain who believed that his team played their best cricket setting targets and defending them, and that alpha mode of playing mitigated any perceived advantage for the opposition in bowling first.

Sort of reverse bazball.

 

[Shady Slim]

It isnt though. It was a strategic gamble by a captain who believed that his team played their best cricket setting targets and defending them, and that alpha mode of playing mitigated any perceived advantage for the opposition in bowling first.

Sort of reverse bazball.

its really not though it's just the team was such a steamroller they had the privilege of doing what they were more comfortable with regardless of the conditions

sometimes when you mash potatoes you get mash potatoes

 

[GIMH]

They were the stronger team, and were better throughout the series too. Just didn't win the important moments. They were 1 wicket away from winning the first Test by an innings but left with a draw

The better team wins the important moments. A weak side that got what it deserved from the series.

 

[Xuhaib]

Babar Azam resorting to ****ty finger spin when the ball was reverse swinging like crazy in Karachi was dumb af too

Pakistan think tank starting from Chariman Rambo whole mentality through the serious was a great combo of dumb,cowardice and shameful

 

[subshakerz]

The better team wins the important moments. A weak side that got what it deserved from the series.

Nah there are plenty of examples of stronger teams losing the big moments and series. Australia losing to India in 2021 being one of them.

 

[subshakerz]

its really not though it's just the team was such a steamroller they had the privilege of doing what they were more comfortable with regardless of the conditions

sometimes when you mash potatoes you get mash potatoes

I agree, Taylor could get away with it due to the depth of quality in the team. But it still takes a bit of a forward thinking captain to recognize that and adopt a different approach from most others who study the pitch and decide to bowl.

 

[GIMH]

Nah there are plenty of examples of stronger teams losing the big moments and series. Australia losing to India in 2021 being one of them.

A better side overall perhaps, but you’re not the better side in the series if you lose the crunch moments.

 

[mr_mister]

Sobers made a doozy once right

 

[trundler]

Sobers made a doozy once right

Hasty declaration at Port of Spain.

 

[fredfertang]

Hasty declaration at Port of Spain.

Let down by his bowlers

 

[Adders]

They were the stronger team, and were better throughout the series too. Just didn't win the important moments. They were 1 wicket away from winning the first Test by an innings but left with a draw

Nah mate, that is plain wrong.

Your boys top the averages for that series but they achieved that in 2 tests......there were 5 in the series. And you can't bowl that many balls at Monty Panesaar and James Anderson without getting one of them out and feel stiffed about it.

I was on another forum at the time and this was fiercely debated. I recall even working out which side won each session throught the series and Eng won comfortably by that metric too.