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Good on Kumble
Anil Kumble's appointment as Indian Test captain makes a lot of sense
November 11, 2007
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India's highly competitive legspinner Anil Kumble has now achieved two things in his Test career that the great Shane Warne didn't: he has made a century, and been appointed captain of his country.
No doubt Kumble's appointment as captain is an interim measure, but it's still a great honour. It's also due reward for the likeable leggie's commitment to his team winning, and his thoughtfully aggressive approach to cricket's toughest art, the bowling of wrist-spin.
At age 37, Kumble is not a long-term captain and his agile mind would have fathomed in his sleep that he's only keeping the seat warm for Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Nevertheless, the appointment does make sense.
Kumble's first assignment is a tough one, leading against arch-rivals Pakistan. Any Indian loss to Pakistan causes great angst, and often highly emotional decisions are taken that, when viewed in the cold, hard light of day, aren't necessarily right. Dhoni is a long-term captaincy candidate and the selectors were wise to protect him from a potential landmine right at the start. At 26 he is about the right age to start his Test captaincy career, but the selectors were wise to avoid a baptism that included two potentially damaging situations. Looked at in this light, Kumble could be seen as a possible sacrificial lamb being sent to the slaughter in order to preserve Dhoni for the future.
If Kumble survives the Pakistan trial, he'll be off to Australia, where captaincy can be a daily nightmare. Ask Mahela Jayawardene. On the first day at the Gabba this week, Jayawardene made the mistake of omitting a genuine fast bowler and then had the misfortune of watching as rain reduced his time with the new ball under cloudy skies to a minimum. Then, in the lunch break, the sun appeared and the pitch quickly turned into a tame pussycat rather than a crouching tiger.
Such twists of fate can turn a sane man into a nervous wreck. However, as a wrist-spinner Kumble has already experienced every dastardly act the cricketing gods can dream up. He will look at anything the game throws at him as just another challenge to be met head-on and with due thought to finding a solution. He'll look at his appointment as an opportunity to round out sterling service to his country with a flourish. If India do lose either of the upcoming series - and it'll most likely be a win against Pakistan and a loss to Australia - his opponents will at least know they've been involved in hand-to-hand combat.
Kumble has been a credit to himself, the game and his country, and any player who does not follow him into batlle and give his last drop of sweat is beyond help
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He has never spent a wasted moment on the cricket field. He's one of the most competitive players I've seen, and always without offending anyone; not the umpires, his opponents or his team-mates. He's been a credit to himself, the game and his country, and any player who doesn't follow Kumble into battle and give his last drop of sweat is beyond help.
Kumble also possesses one great asset that Dhoni doesn't: he understands the requirements of bowling in Australia. This will be a big help to his fellow bowlers on the tour Down Under, and as an alert cricketer, Dhoni's captaincy education will be furthered by being Kumble's understudy.
Kumble is everything a team wants in a captain. He is a man of action and few words, and his deeds are inspirational. To understand Kumble and the respect he has earned, you only had to see his Test century, at The Oval. Every run was crafted with thought and effort and the boundary that brought his century was a triumph for the way it adjusted to a tricky situation. The fact that his hundred brought as much joy to his team-mates on the balcony as it did to him was a tribute to a man who has given his all on the field but never humiliated anyone in the process.
As a spin-bowling captain Kumble will have at least one well-wisher in Australia: Richie Benaud admires thoughtful determination and believes there can never be enough bowling captains. I wouldn't mind betting Kumble has many other admirers in Australia, one of whom is a former spinner who would've made a great captain and should've made a Test century.
Feeds: Ian Chappell
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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Ian Chappell
Widely regarded as the best Australian captain of the last 50 years, Ian
Chappell moulded a team in his image: tough, positive, and fearless. Even
though Chappell sometimes risked defeat playing for a win, Australia did not lose a Test series under him between 1971 and 1975. He was an aggressive batsman himself, always ready to hook a bouncer and unafraid to use his feet against the spinners. In 1977 he played a lead role in the defection of a number of Australian players to Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, which did not endear him to the administrators, who he regarded with contempt in any case. After retirement, he made an easy switch to television, where he has come to be known as a trenchant and fiercely independent voice.
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It was a last choice for the selectors.Ganguly was the apt man for the Captaincy,as he prooved already as an outstanding captain.But unfortunatly selectors have to satisfy their ego.Anyway all the very best to the new captain.
Posted by SHIRIN on (November 14 2007, 15:02 PM GMT)Anil Kumble is one of the most unsung hero of Indian Cricket. He's always brought glory to India and yet remained extremely low profile. I think at last, now he's got his due in form of Test Captaincy. The decision is perfectly sane and respectable. But one thing about this decision could have been better. Kumble should have been given the responsibility for atleast 6 months- 1 year. He's a man too great to be used as a stop gap arrangement. This pinches me!
Posted by suhasgi on (November 14 2007, 09:59 AM GMT)ya,it's very right.Being the highest wicket-taker for the country and one of the most respected individuals in world-cricket,it seems pretty late for the great leggie.But it is indeed a honour and a tribute to the gentleman cricketer.He has been the hardest fighting cricketer in modern day game,it will be interesting to see how he leads in the coming games and what would be the future like if kumble wins it for india_it's getting exciting. It is a very correct decision-touring australia is one of the toughest things in world cricket and Dhoni is a future prospect and making him captain for the australia tour would have been more than risky.Touring down-under for india is going to be more tougher this time,looking at what happened in the month-ago odi series,the aussie players,former players,media and the crowd all are going to hit back,and kumble to me is mentally more better coped to handle this.
Posted by v-factor on (November 14 2007, 05:02 AM GMT)Greg I appreciate ur comments on Kumble but to term him as a "possible sacrificial lamb being sent to the slaughter in order to preserve Dhoni for the future" is loaded with typical oz arrogance. This Indian team is quite strong and mark my words they will take the fight to the aussies. They have their strongest batting line-up till date - Sachin(desperate to prove the critics wrong), Rahul, Sourav and Laxman(hope u haven't forgotten your perennial tormentor). The fast bowling wears a refreshed look with Zaheer, Irfan, Sreesanth, RP. Bhajji and Kumble bring along with them a vast experience. Last time down under we almost won it......this time around we will.
Posted by verbal_assassin on (November 13 2007, 23:34 PM GMT)In my opinion, Kumble is not the best captain Indian selectors should appoint. I am afraid I disagree with most of you as well as Ian. My reasoning is: Kumble is a very calm, cool customer. He is in many ways very similar to Dravid in his demeneaur. Before Dravid was appointed as captain, we all said the same thing that Dravid's cool, calm, respectable attitude will bring India loads of goodness. What was the result? He was a horrible captain... I think India should have a more agressive captain -- Look at previous examples. India's best captain was Ganguly who was quite agressive. Steve Waugh was calm but being Australian, was very cunning and tough and could give you an earlful or two. same with Hansie Cronje. and ofcourse Imran Khan. My point is: the captain should be agressive and not passive like Kumble/Dravid/Tendulkar. Dhoni would be a good choice but he is too young -- I completely agree with that. So I must say, Ganguly would be the best option India have right now .....
Posted by deepak_s on (November 13 2007, 15:46 PM GMT)I disagree with Ian's view with Kumble being made a scapegoat to save dhoni from the 2 damaging solutions, as if this would have been the case then even for the past one day series kumble would have been called on . The other point is Kumble has earned his call for the service he has done to the country relentlessly without giving a thought to his record. As far as learning is considered, dhoni himself must have learned many things from his previous captain when he was a member of playing eleven, no doubt every match will add to his experience with he being a captain or a team member. And finally Both Kumble and Dravid are excellent cricketers who will always do India Proud with there relentless on & Off cricketing field efforts and have smart cricketing brains to support it.
Posted by ssukumar_2007 on (November 13 2007, 14:35 PM GMT)No neutral fans would agree the comments of Ian Chappell. Everyone will agree that Ganguly is the best captain India has ever produced and he had already given Australia the taste of their own medicine in 2003. So why not him as the captain.As rightly pointed out by some others, Kumble's tactics won't be much effective when it comes to pitches outside India.Since Ganguly has lots of experience touring Australia as a captain, making him as a captain would have been a great boost to the team's confidence of winning.
Posted by derrida on (November 13 2007, 07:15 AM GMT)Anil Kumble is the right choice at the moment. Giving Dhoni test captaincy especially when aussie tour on the cards will be injustice. In the last tour to australia he was dropped in the rain hit drawn test in Brisbane. In next 3 test he took 23 wickets. which is eventually the top in that series for any bowler. He is a honest, hard worker on the field. Giving him the captaincy is a real honour for a man who tirelessly worked for indian win. People are talking about batsmen's near future retirements. But it is anil kumble's exit will create a big hollow in the indian team.
Posted by R.Nath on (November 13 2007, 07:12 AM GMT)Anil Kumble should have been made Captain 10 years ago.After all,he has captained Karnataka to the Ranji Trophy,and his team included Rahul Dravid,Srinath,Venkatesh Prasad,Sunil Joshi,etc.In addition to all his qualities of leadership,there is one more reason he should have been Captain much earlier.Captaincy would not have affected his batting(see what it did to Tendulkar,for instance).Richie Benaud is absolutely correct when he plumps for bowling Captains.
Posted by Sudhir29 on (November 13 2007, 03:13 AM GMT)I don't agree. Kumble may not be a part of the playing XI in Oz (apart from Sydney). With him as the skipper Murali may miss out and this may play into the hands of the Aussies. (He is the only spinner who has won us against Oz in the recent past).