So much for captaincy role in cricket

[King]

I've said often the role of captain is way limited in international cricket as compared to grass roots or domestic. It is true a captain is only as good as his team. People were singing praises of Jayawardene and hailed him a great captain. We all know what's happened to Sri Lanka in Australia so far. Where's the so called brilliant leadership skills gone? Most international cricketers know what's expected of them and they know their cricket better than their captain. In fact the captain hardly needs to even keep revisiting field set up. Usually the field set up for every bowler is decided before hand and the bowler has plenty of input in setting the field. Batting line up is pretty much sorted too before the start of the game meaning the captains rarely have to work on choosing a batting line up during the game. Captaincy gets a little mundane after couple of series for the one leading. Coach's role is a little more complicated given the responsibilities of having to deal with individuals, putting together a training plan, running training and fielding drills. Having a coach is very handy but it doesn't matter who's coaching as for results go as long as the coach is capable of handling most matters. IMO a coach or captain does not contribute anything extra ordinary to a team's result. The team that has most players in good form come out top irrespective who the captain or coach is.

[bharat297]

Id say in Test cricket especially ... the captain is extremely important., and the coach is useless. Its unfair to judge Jayawardene's credentials based on this test series. If that is the case then pretty much every captain (apart from Ganguly) who has come to Australia in the last 15 years are failures. Captains not only have to deal with field placements but also bowling rotations ... you have to deal with game plans that change every few overs ... which bowler do u bring on when Jaques and Hayden are 0/200 after 50 overs, and all your bowlers are being hammered ... what is your next step? Its the most important job in cricket id say. Id say as far as a coach's role goes ... its more important in twenty 20 and ODI but in tests it is fairly limited.

[Dhondy]

A captain should be judged by many parameters, Ravi, but perhaps the most important criterion is how well he shoulders the burden of captaincy. Does it enhance or diminish his game? By this parameter, DPMD Jayawardane comes out with flying colours. An overall average of 50 is dwarfed by his average of 60 as captain. That's seriously rarefied territory. Annoying, innit? He had the score his century to ram home the point the same night that you made your post.:D

[The Outsider]

And he also put Australia in to bat at Brisbane denying his only world class bowler last use of the wicket. Brilliant.