5 Greatest Captains Ever

[Richard]

It was a throw away line, is there any footage of the comments?

Certainly is, and I for one find it horrible to watch.
Because it was very, very careless for him to say what he said. I cannot believe he's remotely racist, but surely any fool could see that many would interpret that particular comment as such.
Like I say - Greig has a history of careless comments, the other obvious example being his taunting of Lillee in 1974\75.

 

[Richard]

I would immagine opposite really - any comments referring 'Australins = convicts' even in an oblique fashion today is seen as inflamatory - and a 100 years ago, dont you think it would've been seen as even more inflammatory, given the 'not so long ago' use of Australia as a prison colony only ( 100 years ago - it would've been a handful of decades ago factor) ?

Err, "Australians = convicts" is a throwaway line used on countless occasions in the current age. It's never taken as remotely inflammatory.
Whether it would have been in 1900 is, of course, a different question, but to suggest that any Australian would get in the slightest would-up about being called a "convict" by an Englishman is utterly braindead. You'd soon as suggest that we are outraged to be called "poms". Neither term ever causes any offence to a normal person.

 

[SJS]

Anyone who ever disagrees with you seems to be always wrong - well, I guess I'll have to back down because I'm just too tired to be right any more.

I've been desperately seeking the middle ground on this matter - but with you there isn't any - ever.

Der Aamad Durust Aamad

Arabic saying meaning . Came (learnt) late but came right

Welcome to the club.

 

[SJS]

Its amazing how success of the team is often used as a barometer of a captain's quality.

I wonder what any great captain could do (unless he could lead for twenty years or so) with hopeless minnows. I exaggerate to make a point please.

There have been great captains of teams that didnt have a great win/loss record and ordinary ones that had teams which won inspite of the captains.

Secondly BOTH on the field tactics and off the field (including man-management which happens ball the time) are important. There wasnt that much emphasis on off the field captaincy in earlier times. Captains who have had great man management skills or have been great motivators are still bad captains if they are poor strategists on the field.

Some names here would be questioned on these criteria.

 

[archie mac]

I would immagine opposite really - any comments referring 'Australins = convicts' even in an oblique fashion today is seen as inflamatory - and a 100 years ago, dont you think it would've been seen as even more inflammatory, given the 'not so long ago' use of Australia as a prison colony only ( 100 years ago - it would've been a handful of decades ago factor) ?

The fact is us Australians studie our history (which includes native Aust. history) and most Aussies are very pround of our convict roots. It is other people who seem to think it offends us.

tbh it is very rare to meet an Aussie who can trace his roots back to convicts, I have only met 2 in 40 years. My own ancestory is seven generations old, you can yell convict all you want, I could not care less.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

IMO, the 5 greatest captains ever:

1. Mike Brearley - finest tactical mind to have played the game. Any other captain, even with Botham and Willis at command, would have lost at Headingley.
2. Ian Chappell - the greatest leader of men the game has ever seen.
3. Richie Benaud - combined leading from the front with his leggies with unifying his team like no Australian captain had before.
4. Frank Worrell - united the Windies. Enough said.
5. Mark Taylor - arguably second to Brearley tactically. Was so much better with the bat as well.

 

[Jono]

I know, that's why I don't like this song.

Sometimes you are so random.

 

[daniel-ponting]

Greatest!!!

THESE are the true greats; daniel vettori- great with bowling. changes
habibul bashar- led a average side to glory against oz
ricky ponting- the name says it all
inzimam ul-huq- couldnt go past the big man
tatenda taibu- a shame robert mugabe is such a p***k. great player

 

[Fusion]

Its amazing how success of the team is often used as a barometer of a captain's quality.

I wonder what any great captain could do (unless he could lead for twenty years or so) with hopeless minnows. I exaggerate to make a point please.

There have been great captains of teams that didnt have a great win/loss record and ordinary ones that had teams which won inspite of the captains.

Secondly BOTH on the field tactics and off the field (including man-management which happens ball the time) are important. There wasnt that much emphasis on off the field captaincy in earlier times. Captains who have had great man management skills or have been great motivators are still bad captains if they are poor strategists on the field.

Some names here would be questioned on these criteria.

For instance? Just curious.

 

[marc71178]

If you want to claim that you are one of the very very few white saffies who grew up under apartheid and wasnt racist, you have to establish that.

And how do you know it was "very very few" or is this another outrageous "Australia" claim?

 

[marc71178]

tbh it is very rare to meet an Aussie who can trace his roots back to convicts, I have only met 2 in 40 years.

So you're not all inbreds over there any more then?

 

[BoyBrumby]

I would immagine opposite really - any comments referring 'Australins = convicts' even in an oblique fashion today is seen as inflamatory - and a 100 years ago, dont you think it would've been seen as even more inflammatory, given the 'not so long ago' use of Australia as a prison colony only ( 100 years ago - it would've been a handful of decades ago factor) ?

That isn't the case at all, actually. I routinely refer to Australians as "the crims" (albeit in a light-hearted manner) & not once have I been upbraided for it.

Moreover last year's Ashes was promoted on Sky TV with 3 ex-England captains (Botham, Gower, Hussain) dressed in 18th century garb overseeing a chained and manacled Shane Warne climbing onto a ship presumably for transportation to the colonies. The fact that yer actual Shane Warne took part would seem to suggest it isn't a cause of great offence down under.

 

[steds]

I know, that's why I don't like this song.

Really. Most people don't like it because it's ****.

 

[Richard]

5. Mark Taylor - arguably second to Brearley tactically. Was so much better with the bat as well.

Or was it just that he got he retired younger than Brearley was when he made his debut?

 

[Richard]

Sometimes you are so random.

Yes, so?
I saw it as a good chance to say that I disliked that song - it's racist.

 

[Richard]

That isn't the case at all, actually. I routinely refer to Australians as "the crims" (albeit in a light-hearted manner) & not once have I been upbraided for it.

Moreover last year's Ashes was promoted on Sky TV with 3 ex-England captains (Botham, Gower, Hussain) dressed in 18th century garb overseeing a chained and manacled Shane Warne climbing onto a ship presumably for transportation to the colonies. The fact that yer actual Shane Warne took part would seem to suggest it isn't a cause of great offence down under.

I simply cannot believe anyone would genuinely believe it is.

 

[Richard]

Really. Most people don't like it because it's ****.

Well, enough people seem to like it to me...
I don't like it anyway, but I really hated it once I realised it had a racist line in it.

 

[archie mac]

So you're not all inbreds over there any more then?

Just the Aussies from Tasi

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Or was it just that he got he retired younger than Brearley was when he made his debut?

Can you rephrase that properly, so I can rebut you with my usual venom?!

 

[Autobahn]

Can you rephrase that properly, so I can rebut you with my usual venom?!

Unusually Rich makes a good point

Brearley didn't make his Test debut until about 34 and retired for the last time at 40, whereas compared to Taylor who made his debut at 25 and retired at 34 so of course his batting would not be as good.