Feature

Five captains who became coaches

Misbah-ul-Haq is the latest in a long line of cricketers who have went from one form of leadership to another

Danyal Rasool
Danyal Rasool
25-Sep-2019
Misbah-ul-Haq loses his hat  •  Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Misbah-ul-Haq loses his hat  •  Cricket Australia/Getty Images

The Pakistan government, led, as you will not have failed to notice, by perhaps Pakistan's greatest cricketer, has used a catch-all phrase to describe the sea change he purports to bring: "Naya Pakistan" (New Pakistan).
The PCB has not been immune to this tide. Days after Imran Khan assumed office, Najam Sethi had been replaced at the helm of the PCB by Ehsan Mani, with Wasim Khan brought in as managing director. The domestic structure, despite vociferous opposition and resistance, was completely overhauled, with the departments swept aside and the number of teams trimmed to six.
In one aspect, however, the changes made don't so much reflect a Naya Pakistan as one that's been tried several times. It came in the appointment of Misbah-ul-Haq as head coach of the national team. A man who was captain just two years ago is now the coach. From Intikhab Alam and Mushtaq Mohammad to Waqar Younis, this is not a new thing in Pakistan cricket.
And it happens elsewhere too. Bob Simpson, perhaps the first full-time coach in international cricket, came from this very tradition. Here's a look at some other prominent captain-turned-coaches from around the world.
Perhaps the model to follow for former captains everywhere. After two stints as Zimbabwe captain, in a career that saw him become perhaps the best wicketkeeper-batsman of his generation, Andy Flower was appointed assistant coach of the England team in 2007, taking over the top job less than two years later after Peter Moores was sacked in chaotic circumstances.
In his first two years, England won the Ashes home and away and lifted their first-ever ICC trophy with a World T20 triumph in the Caribbean. A 4-0 pummelling of India at home, in 2011, took them to the top of the Test rankings, and in the return tour 18 months later, England clinched a famous 2-1 win.
Australia would be defeated in a third consecutive Ashes series in 2013, but Flower's reign would be over less than six months later, with a 5-0 reverse Down Under laying bare the scars and infighting within the England squad.
Captain of New Zealand through much of the 1980s, John Wright has been credited with playing a major role in turning India from an underperforming, sleeping giant to the roaring dragon we now know it to be. Forming a fearsome partnership with an equally influential captain in Sourav Ganguly, the first signs of something special brewing came with a historic 2-1 series win against Australia, defined by the Kolkata Test that India won after following on. Consistent results in ODI cricket would follow, the high point being a famous win in the NatWest trophy final in 2002, followed by a run to the World Cup final a year later.
Test and ODI series wins on the historic tour of Pakistan in 2004 kept that momentum going, though results slipped shortly after that. Pakistan drew the return Test series a year later, and Wright stepped away soon after, deciding not to renew his contract. He later spent two years as New Zealand's coach without quite being able to replicate the same level of success, the brightest point a semi-final run at the 2011 World Cup.
By the time Greg Chappell replaced Wright, Ganguly's form had dipped alarmingly, and Chappell's desire to get him off the team was crystal clear. Rahul Dravid was appointed as captain but the feud between Ganguly and Chappell raged on, clouding effectively Chappell's entire time as coach. The dispute took on ab astonishing severity, from street protests in Kolkata and parliamentary speeches to leaks of internal emails. On-field results were mixed, with a Test win in Johannesburg and a run of 17 successive ODI wins while chasing on one hand, and a group-stage exit from the 2007 World Cup on the other. That World Cup would spell the end of Chappell's tenure.
Another captain-coach rift, but one this time that split India down the middle, bringing player power into sharp, uncomfortable focus. Kumble captained India for 14 Tests at the tail-end of his career, and commanded unquestioning respect within and outside the country. From the time he was appointed coach in June 2016, India won every Test series under him, including away wins against West Indies and home drubbings of New Zealand, England and Australia. However, a rift with the captain Virat Kohli emerged, and, after a heavy defeat to Pakistan in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy, Kumble resigned, having lasted less than a year in his role, citing Kohli's "reservations with my style".
One of myriad former-captains-turned-coaches for Pakistan, and one that, to come full circle, will now serve as bowling coach under Misbah. The former Pakistan fast bowler led the team at the 2003 World Cup, in the last of several stints as captain, and would go on to have two spells as head coach. First appointed in 2010 following a disastrous tour of Australia, he immediately found his side embroiled in the spot-fixing scandal that engulfed the tour of England. Pakistan would go on to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2011, only to be beaten by India. Months later, Waqar resigned citing health concerns.
He would return for a second spell in 2014, beginning with an away-series loss to Sri Lanka. Home series wins against Australia and England were the high points during his tenure, but a disappointing 2015 World Cup, followed by a humiliating limited-overs clean sweep by Bangladesh, set Pakistan back once again. After a group-stage elimination at the 2016 World T20, Waqar would walk away from the job, issuing an excoriating critique of Shahid Afridi's captaincy as he left.

Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000