kyear2
International Coach
Was he? I agree Botham was over rated (lived on reputation long after that's all it was), think Dev always was. But Imran was seen as being behind Lillee, Marshall and Hadlee as a bowler, and while some probably disagree on Lillee, that's the belief.Imran wasn't a bad tactician. But that wasn't his strength. It was unifying the team, disciplining them and inspiring them.
He relied often on Miandad for tactical advice which captain are meant to do anyways, consult with deputies.
But I agree Imran the captain overshadows his other achievements. Even Proctor himself said Imran was underrated.
Wasim wasn't discovered by Imran. Waqar was.
Re Miandad, I've read that he often was the one who set the fields, that's a bit more than relying on, but understood, delegation and all that.
I think, like coaching in the NFL, once you pass the standard of not horrible, and being a motivator you can win. A great coach or captain can't out coach or out captain the talent, but they can ruin a good team.
Is that fair?