Destined to lead

One of the most fascinating aspects of the current series has been the intriguing battle of the captains. Smith has won hands down, not against one but two skippers. Quite simply the greatest advantage Graeme has had is that he was destined to lead.

Captains are born not made. Steve Waugh was born to captain. Nasser Hussain was born to lead. Mike Brearley the same. Shaun Pollock, due to circumstance, was made to be a skipper. I have a similar feeling about Michael Vaughan.

What makes a great captain? A cricket captaincy job is far more demanding than in any other sport. The game takes an eternity at times and the concentration of a team cannot be unrelenting without powerful direction.

The best skippers have the ability to man manage a group of players into a tight single-minded unit who when called upon respond without question. They need to be emotional, even robust at times but importantly when necessary they need to be supportive and sympathetic. The most taxing aspect of the job is the nurturing of the various individuals to get the best out of them. In a way the leader is a psychologist as he juggles his personal emotions with those of his players to ensure a common goal is attained.

One of the best-ever captains, Mike Brearley, described the job as “a bit like gardening – some plants need fertilizer to thrive, others need pruning”.

Aloofness is a quality not desired. Canvassing opinions from fellow players is an often-valuable trait and the end result of this is a feeling of belonging for all involved. A sound tactical brain is essential as well as impressive media skills and of course strength of character that commands respect. Communication, desire and motivation are also essential attributes. The pick of the bunch these days possess an aggressive attitude along with an insatiable winning spirit.

Although it is still early days we can safely say that Smith, much to the delight of the nation, has displayed all of the above characteristics.

If you think back at the comments from Graeme following the potentially devastating defeat at Trent Bridge, he was spot on. He sternly informed the gathering throng of media, who were sharpening their pencils at the thought of a repeat of a familiar pattern of previous tours, that the team was not devastated or disappointed but angry at the defeat. That had the desired effect within his ranks and the boys came out bristling for the fourth Test, sans Pollock.

Following that superb performance, Michael Vaughan in contrast launched a scathing attack on his players accusing them of having a “fear of failure” mentality. This would have created exactly the opposite effect with his players than the one he attempted to achieve.

Vaughan has a lot to learn.

It will be enormously interesting to see how his individuals react in the final Test with that noose hanging around their necks.

By my reckoning in this heavyweight contest Smith had a technical knockout after the first Test as he disposed of Hussain. He has since scored heavily with jabs and uppercuts and going into the crucial final rounds he has Vaughan not far from the canvass.

Smithy is a fighter. Don’t let anyone tell you different.