The true Captains of the World Cup – Part 5
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, however, took on the role of diplomat and ambassador
as easily as his role as captain of the Pakistani cricket team.
He refused to be drawn into a corner when it came to questions regarding hostility and politics and instead countered those questions with criticism of the media propaganda from both sides. It was a shrewd move on the captain’s part as he won over plenty
of admirers.
After losing the historic semi-final, he was gracious in defeat. He congratulated the Indian team on winning and reaching the final, a move which had more than a few Indian fans impressed, before he apologised to his own nation for not having led them to
the final himself.
His post match press conference was also tricky as reporters pressed and tried to get a negative response from the Pakistani captain, yet, he remained focused and with a bit of charm, managed to do nothing but earn everyone’s respect. In the end, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-c89347
Afridi’s on field exploits as captain of his national side led his team into the semi-finals of the tournament. His perfect balance between passion and composure seemed contagious as his team did their best to follow his example.
Yet, Afridi achieved much, much more outside the cricket field where his words and his actions united a nation and put Pakistan’s name back on the map for the right reasons. The Pakistan captain deserves many plaudits there is no doubt about that, but it
would be unfair not to mention the captains that did lead their teams into the final.
Firstly the Sri Lankan Captain:
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KC-Sangakkara-c1779
The wicket keeper who, like his Pakistani counterpart, led his side into their second successive World Cup final was rewarded with the honour of being named the captain of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World XI. With, what some would say, the added pressure and weight of expectations
of being the host nations on the back of Sangakkara’s mind, the Sri Lankan captain had a lot to live up to.
Kumar Sangakkara had three roles to play in the World Cup, each more crucial than the last. Firstly, he was one of the Sri Lankan side’s main batsmen. Secondly, he was the lynch pin and the pivot of the Lankan side as the wicket keeper and finally, he was
the captain of his team. The last point meant that the Sri Lankan skipper had to be alert and adaptive at all times.
As a batsman, Sangakkara was immaculate, as he finished the tournament as the 2011 edition of the World Cup’s third highest scorer. The Sri Lankan skipper’s 465 runs in the nine matches he played were one of the main reasons why Sangakkara inspired his side
to so many crucial victories.
It makes a captain’s job much easier when he is one of the top performers in his team, because if a captain is playing well, it inspires confidence and belief in the entire squad. With the bat at least, Kumar Sangakkara had done that.
[Continued in ‘The true Captains of the World Cup – Part 6’]
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