Leader's edge: The unique traits of World Cup-winning captains

"I hope you realise that you have just lost the game for your team," writes Steve Waugh in his book 'Out of My Comfort Zone'.

The punch line popularised as “You have just dropped the World Cup” was later refuted by Herschelle Gibbs. “I never heard him (Steve Waugh) say those words,” Gibbs revealed of the moment he dropped the Australian skipper on 56. Either way, from 48/3 in a do-or-die super six game and chasing 271 against South Africa, Waugh made a match-winning 120 not out. It was a turning point of sorts for Australia who went on to win 1999 World Cup.

They say cricket captains have a larger impact on the outcome of a game than any other sports. While field placing, bowling changes and batting order make up the quintessential ingredients to a good captain, the combination of different strategies translate into a lot more. Mindset, body language and self-belief are unquantifiable traits that can turn the course of any human being’s life, and perhaps more so of a sportsman or a sports team. Only when you think you can, you are able to.

Hence, it is no surprise that all the World Cup winning captains had a few traits in common. They were all known to be not just imposing, lion-hearted and astute, but also respected leaders of men. Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev, Allan Border, Imran Khan, Arjuna Ranatunga, Steven Waugh, Ricky Ponting and MS Dhoni are all names that give out a certain aura and the semblance of a fatherly figure in their respective countries. Their special place in history has been carved by way of many glorious feats in the game, but their triumph at its greatest stage has reaffirmed their immortality.

Clive Lloyd

At the time of the first World Cup in 1975, West Indies had not yet become the formidable force they were destined to be under the leadership of Lloyd. They had drawn a Test series against Pakistan and were to lose 5–1 to Australia later that year.

But cometh the hour, cometh the man. Lloyd walked into bat with his team at 50 for 3 in the final against the pace of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. He responded with first hooking (without a helmet) Lillee for six at square, and then going on to score a blistering 102 off 85 balls, in only the 33rd ODI ever played in the cricket's new format.

Clive Lloyd

In a 149-run partnership, there were 11 overs when his partner Rohan Kanhai went without scoring a single run. Unfazed at the other end, the World Cup winning captain’s precedent was being set, as 'Man of the final' Clive Lloyd led West Indies to World Cup triumph.

By the next World Cup edition in 1979, West Indies was already the best team in the world under the leadership of 'Super Cat'. Winning four out of the five Test series between the two cups and eleven out of the thirteen played after it, Lloyd had the firepower of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Collin Croft and Joel Garner, and the genius in IVA Richards. But he also personally averaged 61.5 through the World Cup, driving his side to their second triumph.

Ex West Indian World Cup Captains: Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards, Richie Richardson, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Darren Sammy.

Current Captain: Jason Holder

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Kapil Dev

In 1983, India entered the World Cup as a team that had won only a single match (against East Africa) in the previous two World Cups and were not expected to do much in the third either. Out walked Kapil Dev, the 24- year-old-Indian captain with his team reeling at 9/4 in a must-win game against Zimbabwe, a semi-final qualification at stake. He responded with a 175 runs off 138 balls. India had announced itself to the world, and their captain had played one of the most important innings in World Cup history.

Eventually dethroning the mighty West Indies in the final, Kapil bowled a magnificent spell of 11 overs, conceding just 21 runs. “At that time India wasn’t known for its one-day cricket. But Kapil Dev, a cricketer whom I admire a lot, instilled a new belief in them that certain dreams can be achieved. I didn’t feel too disappointed. When you beat the world champions twice in one tournament, you deserve to win it,” Sir Vivian Richards said.

Ex Indian World Cup Captains: S. Venkatraghavan, Kapil Dev, M. Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid M.S. Dhoni

Current Captain: MS Dhoni

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Allan Border

Allan Border had taken reigns of a depleted Australian team back in 1984, after Dennis Lillee, Rodney Marsh and Greg Chappell all hung their boots in a single Test match; it marked the end of an era. By World Cup of 1987, Border was the only surviving member from the Squad of ’83. Border had never been a great ODI player with a modest average of 30.62, almost 20 runs lower than his brilliant Test average.

But his experience held the team together and his valour inspired a generation of cricketers. In his book 'Line and Strength', Glenn McGrath writes, “I remember the 80’s as a tough time for Australian cricket. Border was brave, he stood up to numerous challenges and my dream was to play alongside him.”

Allan Border

Come the 1987 World Cup final, Border scored a crucial run-a-ball 31 and more importantly with England cruising at 135-2, chasing a 253-run target, the Aussie captain came on to bowl as the sixth bowler. And boom, he had his counterpart Mike Gatting caught behind. Soon he also dismissed wicketkeeper Paul Downton and reduced England to 188-5. Border’s golden arm paved the way for Australia and he became the first Aussie captain to win a World Cup.

Ex Australian World Cup captains: Ian Chappell, Kim Hughes, David Hookes Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting

Current Captain: Michael Clarke

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Imran Khan

1992, Imran khan: “I would just like to say, I want to give my commiserations to the English Team. But I want them to know that by winning this World Cup, firstly it means one of my greatest obsessions in life, to build a cancer hospital, I am sure this World Cup will go a long way in completion of this obsession. I would also like to say that I feel very proud that at the twilight of my career, finally I have managed to win the World Cup. Thank you.”

Imran Khan

No mention of his team, of comrade Javed Miandad, of young Inzamam-ul-Haq or the genius of Wasim Akram. Me, myself and ‘I’rony was perhaps the worst World Cup-winning speech ever.

The great Imran Khan faced little backlash from the press, some whispers amongst ex-cricketers, but no one from his team had the audacity to utter a word about their skipper, mentor and undisputed leader. Fact was, without Imran Khan, there would be no World Cup glory for Pakistan. Period.

Ex Pakistan World Cup captains: Asif Iqbal, Majid Khan, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi

Current Captain: Misbah-ul-Haq

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Arjuna Ranatunga

Sri Lanka had been around since 1975, but had never really threatened the top teams in the world let alone stake claim a world title. However, leading up to World Cup 1996, something had changed in Sri Lankan cricket, gone were the days of keeping wickets in hand and building an innings. Romesh Kaluwitharana and Sanath Jayasuriya were taking the attack to the opposition at the top of the order and consistently tearing them apart.

Arjuna Ranatunga

In the final against Australia, though, both openers were back in the hut scoring single digits. Captain Arjuna Ranatunga and his deputy Aravinda de Silva took matters in their own hand. The father figures of Sri Lankan cricket played a similar role to what Imran Khan and Javed Miandad had done for Pakistan four years earlier.

Sri Lanka went onto become the first team to win a World Cup batting second, the only to have done it undefeated or as a host nation. Ranatunga averaged 120.5 in the tournament, being dismissed only twice in six innings. He will always be remembered as the man who elevated Sri Lanka from being minnows to mighty World Champions.

Ex Sri Lankan World Cup captains: Bandula Warnapura, Duleep Mendis, Anura Tennekoon, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara,

Current Captain: Angelo Mathews

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Steve Waugh

Stephen Waugh had a similar ODI batting record to Allan Border, averaging 32, almost 20 runs lesser than his Test average. To be fair though, he earned his nickname “Ice Man” as a specialist death bowler in ODI cricket in the first half of his career, coming late in the order with the bat. Big players, though, relish the big stage and captain Waugh was as big as they came.

He scored two fifties and a hundred in his last three innings of the World Cup, averaging 79.6 through the tournament.

Steve Waugh

The World Cup 1999 win against Pakistan marked the start of one of the most dominating periods in all of sport, Australia begun its 16-Test match winning streak that year and went onto win three consecutive World Cups. For the next decade and a half they were truly ‘invincible’. Perhaps, till England’s glorious Ashes triumph in 2005.

Ex Australia World Cup captains: Allan Border, David Hookes, Ian Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor and Kim Hughes.

Current Captain: Michael Clarke

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Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting started his career during the last years of Mark Taylor who laid the foundations of the Australian cricket fort and was commander general of the empire built under Steve Waugh. Ponting was tipped to be captain of Australia instantaneously when he made his debut at the age of 21. When the throne was handed over to him in 2002, Australia had already conquered the world.

At the age of 28 he was heir to arguably the best set of XI men ever to have stepped onto a cricket field. He was peaking himself as a cricketer and stood right on top of his men, commanding them from the front.

Ricky Ponting

The final of World Cup 2003 seemed to have ended the moment the Australian captain walked into bat, playing perhaps the most destructive innings ever to-date in the history of World Cup finals, scoring 140 runs of a 121 balls. He was the man of the final as Australia annihilated India, just like they had done to Pakistan in the previous edition of the cup.

Australia won the World Cup in 2003 without losing a single game, and they were hardly done. They also went onto win World Cup 2007, undefeated. In fact, Australia did not lose a World Cup match for 12 years, from when Pakistan beat them at Leeds in 1999. They won 34 consecutive World Cup games, till it was again Pakistan who ended their magnificent run at Colombo in 2011. Australia defeated the third Sub Continent team in a row, beating Sri Lanka at the World Cup finals in 2007. Captain Ponting scored 539 runs at an average of 67.37 in the Cup and that summer he was ranked as the No. 1 ODI and Test batsman in the world.

Ex Australian World Cup captains: Ian Chappell, Kim Hughes, David Hookes Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting

Current Captain: Michael Clarke

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MS Dhoni

Sourav Ganguly was a brave man who punched above his weight, but he captained a team that far too often cracked under pressure and lost many games that it should have won. However, like Mark Taylor for Australia, Ganguly laid the foundations for a great Indian team.

That team though, was to be built and crowned as champions of the world under Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Often criticized for his captaincy in the longer format, his achievements as captain are beyond any reasonable doubt, across all formats.

MS Dhoni

Dhoni is not known to be a tactical genius or a strategic mastermind but through self-belief and perseverance he changed the Indian cricket psyche. He instilled his own calm demeanour and self-assurance into a team that was infamous for crumbling when it mattered most.

Chasing a target of 278 in a World Cup Final, Dhoni decided to promote himself in the batting order, coming three down, ahead of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. Two hours and eight minutes later, The Indian captain walloped Kulasekra for a six over long on and over a billion people in India erupted with joy. Dhoni was awarded man of the final for a brilliant 91* off 79 deliveries.

He won the ICC World T20 on his captaincy debut in 2007, made India the No.1 Test team in the world in 2010 and completed his crown with the ODI World Cup win in 2011.

Ex Indian World Cup Captains: S. Venkatraghavan, Kapil Dev, M. Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid M.S. Dhoni

Current Captain: MS Dhoni

So far 94 different captains have participated from 19 countries, playing a total of 352 matches in 10 World Cup competitions. Only eight of these captains have brought the cup back home for their countrymen to relish and savour the joy of being World Champions.

This world cup will witness the century of World Cup captains. Headed by:

West Indies’ Jason Holder,

South Africa’s A.B. de Villiers,

Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq,

Australia’s Michael Clarke

India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni,

England’s Eoin Morgan

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews

New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum,

Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi

Scotland’s Preston Mommsen,

UAE’s Mohammad Tauqir and

Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza.

Ireland’s William Porterfield and

Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura

Dressing room pep talk, strategic planning and mental preparation is carried out by all captains, but the ones that lead their team to World Cup glory are those who are able to inspire their men on the field of play. Leaders, who take brave decisions, think out of the box and make their bat or ball do the talking, are the ones who achieve eternal success.

If history is anything to go by, there will be one man who will rise to the occasion and make his presence felt. And that man will lead his men to World Cup title.

Shaan Agha tweets @shaanagha1 and can be found on Game On