The Captains’ Tales

You might think it strange that having described David Fulton’s declaration against Nottinghamshire four years ago, which in reality cost my Hampshire side a shot at the County Championship, ‘one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen in my life’ – which it was – I should now be writing a foreword to a book by him on captaincy. ‘Fults’ was a good leader of Kent and a respected opponent. In 2006, he and Rob Key batted the whole of the last day without Hampshire taking a wicket. The pitch turned and I bowled as well as I had bowled during the entire county season, but still we couldn’t budge them. The only other time that happened in my career the batsmen were Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman of India in the cauldron of a Test match. We’ve had some good banter, both across the poker table and on the cricket pitch, which resulted in me earning a few extra pounds and scoring my maiden first-class century against his team – thanks, Fults! But we always knew the Kent side he led would be up for a battle, as he liked a scrap; his players followed him and he obviously had a good cricket brain. He impressed Steve Waugh, and not many Englishmen do that.

The other reason I’m happy to write this foreword is that it’s a book that combines two great subjects close to my heart: the Ashes, one of cricket’s greatest historical battles between two proud nations, and captaincy, with all its different subtleties, strategies, tactics and man-management requirements. Captaining a cricket team is a great ‘buzz’ – very different to captaining in any other sport.

When you’re out on the field, it’s your show. Sure, you take advice from others, but you carry the can when things go wrong so you need to back your own judgement and instincts, and be able to read the game. That’s why, in my opinion – and I know Fults thinks the same – a captain needs to run the team. The coach operates in the background, preparing the players. The only other coach I’m in favour of is the one who takes you back to the team hotel.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have captained not only Hampshire but also my home state of Victoria, the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League and, of course, Australia in one-day internationals. I never captained in the Ashes or indeed in a Test match but, while I would have loved the opportunity, it was never an ambition, or something I chased or regret not doing. It’s just the way it was. Winning matches for Australia and staying at the top of the game have always been my major motivators.

I played under four Test captains (five, if you count Adam Gilchrist): Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. They were all fine leaders and all a bit different in their approaches. I rated Taylor the best because of his man-management skills and tactical brain – he was always prepared to lose a game in order to win it.

Of the ten England captains featured in this book, I played against six, from Graham Gooch in 1993 through to Andrew Flintoff in 2006–07. Only Michael Vaughan won the Ashes in my time, so I must rate him as the best, but it is very interesting to read how Fults rates the others and what each of them has to say about their time as the fulcrum of the team.

The 2009 series promises to be a cracker, and no, I won’t be making a comeback. I might have a wager on the Aussies, although unlike my old mate Glenn McGrath I’m not going to say 5–0. Let’s have 3–2; now wouldn’t that be special?