Hobart: In modern day cricket, captaincy is about not only taking the right decisions at the right time but also being immune to unnecessary criticism.
The ability to tackle the media is as important as his skill to play the bouncer or outswinger. Any captain who does not know how to do this, in cricketing terms, will be ‘caught behind’ if he opts to chase remarks over him, or even his personal life, like Virat Kohli to his detriment during this World Cup.
Kohli’s tiff with a journalist almost took away the focus of the team from the World Cup. If not for the timely intrusion and intelligence of Team Director Ravi Shastri, it could have snowballed into a bigger issue as the Indian media went for Kohli’s throat.
Shastri, who has been part of the media as a commentator, and due to his years of experience as a player, could pass on some guidance on how to handle such volatile situations. Luckily, Anurag Thakur, the new secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), brought the incident to a close without any further damage by shooting off a release on the matter reprimanding Kohli.
However, two important elements came out of the whole issue. Firstly, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni having retired from Test cricket and with his career unlikely to extend for long, it is important that India seeks a captain with sufficient emotional intelligence – someone as ‘cool’ as Dhoni.
Amidst the controversy, a bit ironically and accidentally, it was Ravichandran Ashwin who attended the first India press conference after the Kohli incident. He handled tricky questions from the media with such shrewdness and intelligence that many journalists were heard opining at the end of the interface that India needed a player like him to succeed Dhoni in the hot seat.
Here are five reasons why Ashwin should be moulded as a future Indian captain instead of Kohli:
1 Calm demeanour:
India needs a captain who can be composed and yet aggressive in his approach. Ashwin possesses this quality more than Kohli. In today’s cricket the conduct off the field is as important as the manner on the field. Indian captaincy has never been an easy position to handle. Anyone who takes up the job has to accept the fact that even his personal life will be under scrutiny. Ashwin, who is a traditionalist when compared to the more flamboyant Kohli can fit the slot as he is unlikely to generate any controversy.
2 Understanding the need of the hour:
Responding or reacting to media in a harsh manner can lead to huge controversies. This is more relevant when playing in big tournaments like the World Cup. The Kohli incident with the journalist can take the focus away from the team. With Indian television channels capable of creating heroes and villains in one take, the smallest of incidents can be sensationalised. A captain who can understand the needs of his team over his personal issues is an appropriate candidate for the job.
3 On-field behaviour:
In modern cricket on-field behaviour plays a big role in reducing the pressure on the team and on the player itself. Kohli has pushed his aggressiveness to such an extent that he has not been able to control his emotions on the field. The television camera always focus on a captain and hence his expressions and responses to varying situations have to be noteworthy. Ashwin has that quality to be unaffected and also lift his game according to the situation. It should be noted that in big events like the World Twenty20 championship, Champions Trophy and World Cup, his performances have been outstanding.
4 Kohli needs to focus on his batting:
Kohli is India’s main batsman and captaincy will be an additional burden. If he has to play the role of Sachin Tendulkar in future, it is better he remains only a batsman. Looking at Kohli’s character over the years, it is unlikely that captaincy can change him overnight. As a batsman if he opts for any antics it is unlikely to have much impact on the team. A captain who sledges, or responds to sledging, can bring in undue and unnecessary pressure on himself and his outfit.
5 Captaincy has to be learned:
Kohli has become a captain being the best player. Ashwin, if he is made the captain, will be one who has won that position due to his intelligence. Being a strong admirer of Anil Kumble, who was one of India’s most intelligent captains, Ashwin has imbibed many notable qualities from his idol. Unlike Kumble, however, Ashwin is a better batsman. The fact that Ashwin is a thinking captain makes him better than Kohli who depends more on intuition than intelligence.
