Captaincy is a crucial element in the game of cricket. Although cricket looks like a straightforward game on the outset, there is a bearing of philosophy and style underneath the surface. Most of it is brought out over a period of time through leadership. Be it the conservative or the attacking captains in cricket, the perception of the skipper usually rubs on to the other team members.
In recent years, we have seen prominence being given to attacking and aggressive captains in the game. This is because this style adds a competitive edge to the proceedings and also provides the highest entertainment value. In this article, we take a look at the five most attacking captains in cricket history.
1. Sourav Ganguly
Well, if not for Sourav Ganguly, Team India would have remained behind in the stairs to global dominance. He changed the perception of the game for Indians, and that was his major contribution to Indian cricket.
Aggressiveness runs in Ganguly’s blood. Both in his character and captaincy decisions, Dada oozed attacking sensibilities. Some of his famous captaincy moments include waving his T-shirt after the Lord’s win and making Aussie captain Steve Waugh wait at the toss.
2. Ricky Ponting
With a captaincy win percentage of 62.34 in Tests and 71.74 in ODIs, Ricky Ponting can be easily acknowledged as one of the best captains that the game has seen. Not just that, Ponting is one of the most aggressive captains in cricket history.
If you look back at Australia’s squad under Ricky’s captaincy, it was full of aggressive batters and attacking bowlers. Ricky himself was a top batsman and superb fielder. His captaincy tactics also involved plenty of risks which more often than not, paid off handsomely.
3. Imran Khan
Taking tough decisions on the field can be a difficult task for a few. But for Imran Khan, it was just a matter-of-fact judgement. His aggressive nature as a batsman and a bowler also helped his captaincy.
The man to have led Pakistan to its only World Cup Trophy, Imran was known for his dynamic strategies to get his victories. It was under him the fearsome Pakistani bowling attack came into the scene. This made him one of the most attacking captains in cricket records.
4. Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd is one of the legends of the game, both as a batsman and as a captain. He is the first captain to lift the World Cup Trophy. The West Indian led his nation twice to the championship.
The West Indian squad of the ’70s and the ’80s is one of the most dominant sides in cricket history. They were brutal, both with the bat and the ball. Dominance was one aspect that was the hallmark of this era. Clive Lloyd was at the centre of it with some aggressive tactics and fearless captaincy.
5. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is an aggressive character, and this has rubbed on to his captaincy as well. Unlike the previous era when Indian captains used to be a tad bit conservative, Virat has now triggered a wave of fearlessness in all departments of the game.
While the stats tell the results have been good, many who would have watched the game also recognise that Virat’s captaincy tactics are fresh and attacking. Especially in Test games, Virat has made his boys forget the days when going for a draw was deemed a success. Having an attacking mindset has now become a mandatory element under Virat’s captaincy.
