a massive zebra
International Captain
Very disappointed to see a pretty much unanimous vote for probably the very worst captain in the long history of the English national team. MacLaren was an arrogant, overbearing and unreliable man who lost every series as captain at a time when England were blessed with some of the best resources of natural talent in their history. What's more, he is chosen at the expense of a contemporary who inspired England to lift the the Ashes for the first time in years having lost the previous three series under MacLaren's captaincy.
According to Plum Warner, MacLaren was a pessimistic captain who considered himself beaten before the match even began, and was prone to be critical rather than constructive when things were going badly. MacLaren's biographer Michael Down concluded "He was too inflexible to suit everyone who played under him."
Also, he made his fair share of selectoral mistakes, most notably the omission of a fast bowler at The Oval in 1909.
Furthermore, Monty Noble remarked "If there was a weakness in his general method of attack it was a tendency to give his stock bowler too long a spell at the crease." The most striking example of this was his merciless use of Barnes in 1901-02, who, having won the first Test with a marvellous performance, broke down in the second after being bowled down to the ground and could not play in the final three tests of the series. England lost the last three tests comfortably.
Finally, everything in MacLaren's manor radiated supriority, and he regularly made his team mates feel inferior and uncomfortable. To quote C.B. Fry, MacLaren was "an iron and joyless captain... under him you entered every game bowed down with the hurculean labour of a cricket match against Australia; you were as in a trance to your doom."
According to Plum Warner, MacLaren was a pessimistic captain who considered himself beaten before the match even began, and was prone to be critical rather than constructive when things were going badly. MacLaren's biographer Michael Down concluded "He was too inflexible to suit everyone who played under him."
Also, he made his fair share of selectoral mistakes, most notably the omission of a fast bowler at The Oval in 1909.
Furthermore, Monty Noble remarked "If there was a weakness in his general method of attack it was a tendency to give his stock bowler too long a spell at the crease." The most striking example of this was his merciless use of Barnes in 1901-02, who, having won the first Test with a marvellous performance, broke down in the second after being bowled down to the ground and could not play in the final three tests of the series. England lost the last three tests comfortably.
Finally, everything in MacLaren's manor radiated supriority, and he regularly made his team mates feel inferior and uncomfortable. To quote C.B. Fry, MacLaren was "an iron and joyless captain... under him you entered every game bowed down with the hurculean labour of a cricket match against Australia; you were as in a trance to your doom."
