When a young Michael Jordon tried to hog the limelight and score all by himself every point in the match, he was told sternly by his college coach, “There is no ‘I’ in a team”. Jordon shot back at his coach with a candid, “There is one in WIN”. Though Michael Jordan was the greatest ever to take to the basketball court, it was not until he learned to share the ball with his mates had he tasted the success of six consecutive NBA titles and achieve the aura of ‘His Airness’. So what has that to do with cricket and the latest English skipper Kevin Pietersen?
Many in the inner circles of English Cricket feared that Kevin Pietersen would fail as a captain and have detrimental effect on the national side as his inflated ego would not have place for anyone else in the dressing room. His lavish lifestyle, ultra-posh home in Chelsea and his many adventures with women in earlier part of his career made him anything but ‘ideal’ choice for the captain of a team, a role viewed intensely and scrutinized by the more orthodox elite of English sport. This was not football, it was cricket and in their opinion, Pietersen would harm the team with his self-centered attitude.
This is not be mistaken for anyone questioning Kevin Pietersen’s batting abilities. But rather this is about being the leader of a side and commanding respect and encouraging camaraderie. With his swashbuckling century Pietersen not only put an end to those fears but also joined the elite list of Test players who scored a Test century in the first match that they captained their national side.
The list is pretty interesting and some names in that would perhaps inspire Pietersen while he could learn from the mistakes of others.
The most successful captain to have scored a Test century in his first game as captain was undoubtedly Clive Lloyd. ‘Deadly Cat with Super bat’, Lloyd was both a batsman and a captain that Pietersen would see a lot of himself in. Both are very powerful hitters of the ball and can give it an absolute tonk and have a style of playing that borders on the edge of adventure. Lloyd was the entertainer supreme in his side before the legendary Viv Richards took over that tag. While Lloyd’s vibrant, adventurous style was welcomed by the effervescent Caribbean folk, Pietersen’s similar style has been constantly frowned upon by the English. Pietersen has started off his stint much like Lloyd did and surely would be inspired by a man who built the greatest Test team of all time and lifted the World Cup twice.
Another man similar to Pietersen in his adventurous thought process, if not batting style and with his own distinct shot selection (the famous V in front of the wicket), was Greg Chappell. For one, England would love to see Pietersen emulate Greg, the former Australian skipper, who scored Test centuries in the innings of his first match as Australia’s captain. If Pietersen emulates that, he is practically assured of a Test win in his first match as captain. His adopted country though would be hoping that their dear ‘KP’ stays out of trouble unlike Greg Chappell who managed to dive head first into trouble. (World Series saga and the Under-Arm Fiasco).
One man who did what Pietersen did achieved it almost 33 years ago. Sunil Gavaskar is someone whom probably Pietersen would relate least to. Pietersen and Gavaskar are probably the opposite element in everything that defines these men. One was an epitome of technical perfection and controlled copy book display while the other is all about enthralling entertainment and unorthodox bravado. If Gavaskar was all about saving hard earned cash for a rainy day then Pietersen would be the perfect risk taker investing in stock market. Yet Pietersen could do well to learn from the single-minded focus and grit of the former master.
The player though, that Pietersen shares personal and professional similarities the most, is Alan Lamb. Hailed as one of the greatest wicket keeper of all time due to his very safe glove work and immaculate footwork behind the stumps, Lamb also scored a Test ton in his first match as captain. Lamb also was born in South Africa (Cape Province) and much like Pietersen, has a strong South African connection. But Pietersen would dearly hope the similarities end there as Lamb lost the three times he captained his team and never got the job again. Surely, Kevin Pietersen wil not want to look in that direction right now.
In the words of Yorkshire’s dearest, Geoffrey Boycott, Pietersen is ‘bright as a button and nutty as a fruit cake’. While too much has been written about his inflated ego and self-centered past, probably many read a bit too much in to his personal life. Genius without a touch of arrogant swagger lacks its sheen and Pietersen’s great start as captain will hopefully usher English cricket in a direction where they will value ingenuity and unorthodox expressive natural talent more.
Pietersen’s knock and his reign have so far been a breath of fresh air and if anything, the team spirit in the English camp only seems to have gotten better. Captaincy will also encourage him and make him a better team man helping him and his side. While it is too early to call, one can maybe assume that he is a fine leader and a player who leads his charge from the front. With ‘KP’ you know that England will fight to the death rather than whimper in submission.
