Battle of the Test captains

[Slow Love™]

Marc is really stretching if he thinks that because Ponting lost one game against India that counts as a series loss. Fair enough if it was a one off test match. Yes, Gilchrist was the captain that won the series, but Ponting wasn't the captain that lost the series, it was Ganguly.

It's just a point of orientation. If Marc thinks that Ponting lost the series, he's wrong as well. But SS is claiming the series as a Ponting win, in order to make his winning statistics more impressive (and further justify his high rating of Ponting as a captain).

Ponting's captaincy didn't lose the series = true
Ponting captaincy won the series = not true

 

[Mister Wright]

It's just a point of orientation. If Marc thinks that Ponting lost the series, he's wrong as well. But SS is claiming the series as a Ponting win, in order to make his winning statistics more impressive (and further justify his high rating of Ponting as a captain).

Ponting's captaincy didn't lose the series = true
Ponting captaincy won the series = not true

Yeah, they're both making big, big stretches here.

You're right - SS can't use it as a series win for Ponting & Marc can't use it as a series loss.

If anything I'd be more on SS's side, as Ponting probably played a role behind the scenes to win the series with both Buchannon and Gilchrist. But it cannot be put on Ponting's official record as he didn't play.

 

[Slow Love™]

Yeah, they're both making big, big stretches here.

You're right - SS can't use it as a series win for Ponting & Marc can't use it as a series loss.

If anything I'd be more on SS's side, as Ponting probably played a role behind the scenes to win the series with both Buchannon and Gilchrist. But it cannot be put on Ponting's official record as he didn't play.

You could also argue that the Mumbai result had more to do with the degrading pitch than Ponting's captaincy (unless you want to have a go at him over leaving Hauritz on too long in India's second innings), but we'd better not go there.

 

[Perm]

The Big Ship Warwick Armstrong wins that one 9-5.

Round 1, Battle 15

Sir Viv Richards

Test: 50 Matches, 27 Wins, 8 Losses. Winning Percentage: 54%

vs

Allan Border

Test: 93 Matches, 32 Wins, 22 Losses. Winning Percentage: 34%

Voting will last 24 hours.

 

[Mister Wright]

Allan Border. Australia's greatest ever captain.

 

[Xuhaib]

Ab

 

[oz_fan]

Allan Border

 

[Burgey]

AB. He grew into the role in 1989 and thereafter. Before that he wasn't great, but neither was his team. Not only that, as a fighting cricketer he epitomised backs-to-the-wall leadership by deed rather than word.

Viv's record on results is amazing, but he lacked imagination as captain. Mind you, with that attack, not much imagination was needed. He was also a big part of the blight of slow over rates in his era, so he gets voted down for that as well.

 

[cameeel]

ab

 

[luffy]

AB led Australia through a tough era and did an good job.

 

[silentstriker]

I really really really really like Allan Borders.

But Richards

 

[nightprowler10]

AB for me.

 

[Jono]

Ab

 

[Fusion]

Border

 

[SJS]

Imran Khan, for all his obvious virtues, was a controversial figure who adopted the hard line way too often for my liking. He was a dictatorial figure with egoistic tendencies and wasn't really a team-player as such.

Imran was a tough boss. In Pakistan that can well mean dictatorial. Anyone who has followed Pakistan cricket over the years can see why anyone but a no nonsense captain is what will work for Pakistan specially.

Pakistans biggest problem over the years has been great individual talent but unharnessed, generally rebellious, deep divisions, made worse by interference from all and sundry outside the game from ex cricketers, PCB officials and Pm's and generals ! The only man who brought a semblence of discipline to Pakistan cricket AS WELL AS made sure no one impinged on his autonomy, it was Imran. That was his major contribution. The talented Pakistani team, made to concentrate on the job at hand with team objectives in mind was quite capable of doing the rest for him.

This no easy task to do. Tough and no nonsense leaders are important in a game which is curiously a team game where individuals contribute individually by and large towards the team objectives. This breads individualism. Thus cricket needs tougher captains anyway. Pakistani environment makes it an absoulte MUST.

To chieve it as Imran did is no mean achievement and THIS aspect of his captaincy has to be lauded and not demeaned as if his toughness somehow made him a 'lesser' captain.

Look at the mess in Pakistani cricket (inspite of absolutely briliant individuals) and the obious truth of this is staring you in the face.

 

[Perm]

Allan Border progresses with a 9-1 win.

Round 1, Battle 16

Peter May

Test: 41 Matches, 20 Wins, 10 Losses. Winning Percentage: 48%

vs

Ian Chappell

Test: 30 Matches, 15 Wins, 5 Losses. Winning Percentage: 50%

Voting will last 24 hours.

Apologies for Peter May's picture, I couldn't find any good ones.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Chappell - Australia's best ever captain, opinionated commentary notwithstanding.

 

[Xuhaib]

May.

 

[Jono]

Chappelli.

Love him

 

[luffy]

Peter May