Arjuna Ranatunga - leading by trust

As an 18-year-old in 1982, Arjuna Ranatunga played in Sri Lanka's very first Test, against England in Colombo. Fourteen years later, in March 1996, he tickled the winning runs to third man, to secure victory over Australia in the World Cup final at Lahore. If he had come a long way as a person, then it was nothing compared to the distance he had travelled with his team.

In less than a generation, Sri Lanka had developed from international cricket's whipping boys into a side capable of ruling the world, and Ranatunga's influence had been felt every step of the way. Few players have been so obviously in command of a cricket team as Ranatunga, who would marshall his troops like a general on the battlefield. Like the best leaders, he instilled in his charges a victor's mentality, all the while remaining on hand to leap to the defence of his players if the need ever arose.

This outlook was reflected in his batting as well - strutting in at No. 5 or 6, he would delegate responsibility to the junior strokemakers in the top-order, who thrived on his trusting approach, but was always on hand to avert the intermittent crises that are part and parcel of a developing cricket team. Usually he would be successful as well.