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Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Shubman Gill wants India to dominate – Ben Stokes will have other ideas
Shubman Gill can never be accused of lacking confidence. Gill, the new India captain, has his nickname 'Prince' stamped on his cricket bat and he is going to need that self-assurance when he comes face to face with Ben Stokes over the next six weeks. Under Stokes and Brendon McCullum, England have carved out a new style and, for all its ups and downs, Bazball achieves one thing; it rattles opposing captains. Pat Cummins, Rohit Sharma and Tom Latham have all spoken in the past about how they have had to reconsider their tactics and respond to the way England, and Stokes, challenge their thinking. Holding your nerve and staying calm is easier said than done when face to face with England on the charge. Cummins's eyes were spinning like a fruit machine at Old Trafford two years ago as England went on the rampage, and that image will remain with England as they prepare for the Ashes this winter. Gill will require a stiff backbone in his first series as captain, leading one of the world's most scrutinised sports teams, as they embark on the challenge of winning a series in England for the first time since 2007. Gill has inherited the No 4 position too, which in itself would be enough responsibility for a 25-year-old to handle without the burden of leadership. The role has been held by Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli since the early 1990s, before Gill was born, let alone picked up a cricket bat for the first time on his father's farm in the Punjab. Gill comes to the job with a Test average of 35 and much to prove away from home. He averages 29 outside of India and 31 against pace, which will be what England will throw at him in Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. But it is the ultimate challenge, and Gill is relishing it. He has the world at his feet. Whether he can seize the moment will become clearer over the next five Tests. 'Hopefully we find ourselves in a position where he might scramble his own mind but we will not go out there purposely to put pressure on a new captain,' said Stokes, but he knows from his time playing in India the pressure Gill is under. On the For the Love of Cricket podcast this week, England's Jos Buttler said: 'I don't think we can quite understand the level of interest and the stardom that these guys have. You see it around the IPL [Indian Premier League], you're aware of it, but actually living that yourself… I think they say the Indian Test captain is like the third or fourth most influential person in India, behind the prime minister etc – so you really are put up on that pedestal. It's going to be a huge job for him.' 'I want to be the best batsman in the series' The first question of Gill's initial captain's press conference was about his 'coronation moment' and whether he had grasped the 'enormity' of the responsibility thrust upon him. If the job can be likened to the prime minister's office then Gill has a politician inside him. He straight-batted every question while saying all the right things. Sitting back in his chair and exuding calmness, he acknowledged the 'biggest honour' a player can have by captaining India in Test cricket and identified winning a five-Test series in England as a bigger achievement than lifting the IPL title. He shrugged off any thoughts he will walk to the crease with a target on his back now he is captain. 'I want to play as a batsman and dominate opposition and be the best batsman in the series. That is what I am trying to look at.' Buttler played under Gill for Gujarat Titans in the IPL and believes his captaincy will be a mix of Kohli's hot-headedness and Rohit's level-headedness. Kohli was never a tactical genius, but he gave an edge to India that has permeated through to the next generation; Gill sledged Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson in the last series against England and has been known to upset umpires in the IPL. Gautam Gambhir, the coach, is a 'prickly character' to quote Ricky Ponting, and he will expect his young captain to be punchy and reflect the self-confidence of Indian cricket. Gill has consulted both Kohli and Rohit about captaining in England and will lean on Gambhir for advice. Together they want to build a team where players 'feel secure and valued', giving them a longer rope, which will involve shutting out the noise and resisting the pressure to change tack when things inevitably go wrong at some stage. A captain is only as good as his bowling attack and in Jasprit Bumrah, Gill possesses the ace. To average 19 in Test cricket in the modern era of bigger bats, aggressive batsmen and flat pitches makes Bumrah a true great of the game; a bowler who can take wickets on any surface at any stage of an innings. Bumrah captained India in Australia when Rohit was unavailable, but the job went to Gill on a full-time basis because of workload fears. Bumrah will play at least three Tests against England, and how Gill uses him will determine whether he has the puff left for a fourth. 'He is young and energetic, he has his own thought process, and that is how it should be. If he needs anything from me, I will always be there for him,' Bumrah said about Gill this week. The pitch at Headingley is green but dry underneath, and, with sunny weather forecast, the groundsman is leaving the grass on it to try to prevent it breaking up for as long as possible. It is not going to be the seaming paradise on which Anderson and Ollie Robinson rolled India for 78 in the first innings four years ago. That series ended with India going home due to a Covid scare while 2-1 up. When they came back a year later to finish off the series, England had been rejuvenated by Bazball and romped to victory at Edgbaston. This time it is India and Gill's chance to show they are the team setting the agenda, and trying to spark new life into their Test team. 'Our side is not experienced but doesn't have any baggage coming to England, because not all have been here before. That could make a difference,' Gill said.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Ben Stokes, leadership and the poisoned chalice that is the England captaincy
Few leadership roles in any sport replicate the responsibility and pressure on the cricket captain, where on-field performance must be combined with tactical acumen, shrewd decision-making, management and selection. It is a position that has brought triumph and disaster to some of the best and most heralded figures in the game, with the particular scrutiny on the captain of England invariably leaving them close to broken by the end of their time in charge. Advertisement There have been times when this has, truly, appeared 'the impossible job'. Yet Ben Stokes, the one-time gifted problem child of the English game, faces India this week in the first of two defining series in his Test captaincy with the ringing endorsement of some of the most successful and high-profile figures to have held the post. Since joining forces with coach Brendon McCullum in 2022, when England's Test cricket was at one of its perennial low ebbs, Stokes, 34, has led his side to victory in 20 of his 33 matches as captain, a win percentage of 60.6 that puts him ahead of all his comparable contemporaries. And those former captains spoken to by The Athletic have nothing but praise for the man at the helm of England's attempt to re-define the longest and most traditional form of the game with a forever positive, often swashbuckling style of play. 'I really admire how Stokes has gone about it in so many different ways,' says Nasser Hussain, one of the best and most significant of all England captains. 'There were captains who led by example, like Graham Gooch, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Mike Atherton. There were leaders who had great tactical nous, like Michael Vaughan, and there were some who showed great man-management and empathy like Mike Brearley. But Stokes seems to tick all the boxes. 'He has emotional intelligence and a natural way of handling young players coming into the side. They love playing for him. He has that iron fist in a velvet glove, too. I wouldn't mess with him and you need that as a captain. 'I did a documentary on leadership for Sky and Jurgen Klopp told me, 'You need to be their friend but not their best friend.' That's Stokes in this England side. 'I read The Art of Captaincy by Brearley when I first got the job and I've always looked up to him, but Stokes is one of the best we've had. The only thing he needs to go back to doing now is get big runs because they have dried up a little bit.' Advertisement Gooch was, like Stokes, something of a pioneer. Having been formally appointed captain as England digested a dire 1989 Ashes series, he brought a work ethic and professionalism that had been lacking in the England side over the previous decade. 'He's an exceptional captain, not only as a full-on cricketer who goes about it in the right way, but he does everything to give his team the opportunity to win,' says Gooch of Stokes. 'He reminds me of the way we used to play county cricket. To give yourself the best chance to win you have to take risks and that's what our Essex side did. 'There were some rough edges at the start of this era, but they are being smoothed out. You don't have to be the best cricketers but you do have to be the smartest and, with this ultra-attacking way England play, they do sometimes have to row back and play smart. 'We seem to be doing that better now as opposed to at times during the last Ashes. I do think Stokes has been an inspiration to his players and I've nothing but praise for him.' David Gower experienced Rudyard Kipling's twin imposters more than most as captain in three eventful spells in charge in the 1980s and points to the maturing of a man in Stokes who came close to imploding as a young England player, notably when he was caught up in a brawl in Bristol that threatened to derail his whole international career. 'I'm hugely impressed with the way Stokes has changed,' Gower tells The Athletic. 'I've never known him closely, but 10 years ago he was a very different character. 'Look at him now and he ranks with the best of captains with the way he uses empathy, sympathy, understanding, drive, competitiveness and all the things you want from the captain. Between him and McCullum, they've created something very special. 'Stokes has turned himself into a mightily impressive package as captain. He appears born to leadership now, but it didn't look that way 10 years ago. He's acquired all those skills through lessons in life I guess.' Hussain became England captain in 1999 at one of those low ebbs, after an appalling home World Cup and with the Test side about to be ranked worst in the world. He began by being booed by the crowd while standing on the Oval balcony after defeat in his first series by New Zealand, but stepped down four years later having, in conjunction with coach Duncan Fletcher, won 17 of his 45 Tests in charge. More importantly, he had transformed the mindset of players who before then prioritised their counties. 'It's one of the best jobs in cricket,' insists Hussain, now a leading Sky commentator and columnist with the Daily Mail. 'Even in difficult times, and there were difficult times, you still regarded it as one of the best jobs you could have and I loved virtually every minute. 'When I started what England needed was a bit of a kick up the backside. Playing for England was important. Dropping catches and mis-fielding were not things to be giggled at. It wasn't a case anymore of: 'Never mind we'll just go back to playing for our counties.' 'But by the time we got to 2003 I was done. I was mentally exhausted, and then it needed players like Andrew Flintoff, Marcus Trescothick and Vaughan to go and express themselves. They didn't need an angry leader by then — they needed someone like Vaughan. Advertisement 'We wouldn't have won the Ashes in 2005 if I'd still been in charge. There is a shelf-life for these things. I spoke to (England's former white-ball captain) Jos Buttler the other day and he said, towards the end of his time in charge, it had got to him and he was constantly putting out fires. That's how it gets after a while. When you lose games it takes its toll and your brain becomes a bit scrambled.' Gooch was charged with changing attitudes and personnel when he took over properly at the start of 1990 after a brief spell at the helm at the end of the haphazard summer of four captains in 1988. But not everyone wanted those attitudes changed. 'We were coming into an era of professionalism and there was a sea change in how we went about things,' says Gooch, who won 10 of his 34 Tests as captain but averaged an impressive 58.6 with the bat while in charge. 'Micky Stewart became the first manager of England in 1986 and aspects of our sport were beginning to change, in terms of fitness and the introduction of sports science. 'It was a rewarding time, but it caused friction — I can't say it didn't. The changes upset a few of the senior players. 'There are different styles of captaincy and I expected people to match up to the standards and work ethic I put in, which was probably a mistake. I didn't want to fall out with someone like David Gower, obviously, but I had certain ideas of what I wanted from him and we didn't quite see eye to eye on that. 'Personally I had the best part of my career when I was captain. It gave me an added direction, an added honour and of course, when I'm asked now what was the highlight of my career, I say it was when I was asked to captain my country.' Gower, one of the best and most naturally talented of all England batters, was the anthesis of Gooch in so many ways — the cavalier to his roundhead — but carried the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune more heavily than he was given credit for. From the huge highs of scoring 732 runs at a staggering average of 81 as captain in the Ashes victory against Australia in 1985 and a rare success at the helm in India, to the crushing lows of two 5-0 whitewashes against the West Indies and a debacle at the hands of the old enemy Australia in 1989, Gower saw it all. Advertisement 'The thing that always remains true between thick and thin is that it's an aspiration for any cricketer to captain their country,' he says. 'There were extreme emotions for me and, with plenty of time since, I'd say the good outweighed the bad. But the bad was bad. 'By the end of the summer of 1989 I was a pretty despondent character. But even when all the talk was, 'Is it time for someone else?', I thought, 'Well, I still quite like this job.' Even when you're losing games there's something about being England captain that defies belief. You say to people: 'We can turn this round, it doesn't have to be this way.' 'But at the end of that summer I did know what was coming. I knew I was going to be sacked and then you just say, OK, fine, that's the way that cookie has crumbled.' The change of emphasis that was to come under Gooch was evident in the earlier appointment of Stewart. Gower accepts he did not only clash with his future captain when Gooch took charge, but with the new-fangled idea of a coach/manager. 'I had respect for Micky but there were a lot of things we disagreed on,' admits Gower. 'It was just that we were thinking differently and, on a political level, I sometimes learnt my lesson too late. If I'd been more embracing of him and his role it might have been better. But as it was, I tried to plough my own furrow and dictate as captain. "You can do that if you're winning but you need a bit of support when things are going wrong. If you've pushed aside the man whose job it is to support then it gets trickier." No one has had a trickier experience as England captain than Chris Cowdrey, whose one-match tenure will go down as the most bizarre example of the revolving-door summer of four captains in 1988 and the perils of the job. Impossible? It was for Cowdrey. He was appointed by his godfather, the chairman of selectors Peter May, and lost his only game against an all-conquering West Indies. The Kent all-rounder hurt his foot before his second game in charge and, even after returning to fitness, never played for England again. Advertisement "It was hugely daunting," Cowdrey tells The Athletic. "I'd never played a home Test before and I was up against one of the greatest bowling attacks there has ever been at a ground in Headingley where, in those days, bowlers did well. I didn't have any clue what I was letting myself in for. "But I'd been told by Peter May I had the job for the winter whatever happened and my mind wasn't thinking so much about that game, more about the next few weeks at Kent and the months ahead as England captain in India." As it was, England were beaten by 10 wickets on their way to a 4-0 series defeat. Cowdrey was struck a painful blow by Somerset's Adrian Jones the following week while trying in vain to lead Kent to the County Championship title and, brutally, his time in charge of the national team was quietly curtailed. "To this day I can only guess I was judged on my performance at Headingley where I got nought and five, but in a way that was irrelevant," says Cowdrey. "That is the only disappointment. That I was never told why. That I never gave it any real shot. "But I've never had any ill feeling about that. I did say at the time how disappointed I was and it came out as me having a go at Micky Stewart. That wasn't my intention. "I've had a lot of fun over the years with the 'Uncle Peter' thing. The truth is, and people don't really know this, but I didn't really know Peter May at all. "I got a tenner through the post and a book token when his lovely wife Virginia, who I still see, remembered it was my birthday because I doubt he ever sent it. But that was it. He was just a quiet, lovely man and when he appointed me there was no mention of him being my godfather. It was irrelevant really — except to the rest of the world! "To be fair it did put me under a bit more pressure because I knew if I failed some people would say: 'Well we know why he was picked'." Advertisement Nothing sums up that manic summer of 1988 more than the fact there was actually a fifth England captain. As West Indies chased the 226 they needed for victory in the final Test at the Oval, Gooch split his finger attempting a catch and handed over to his Essex team-mate Derek Pringle. And he had the honour of overseeing an eight-wicket defeat. "It didn't feel real," says Pringle. "It was the summer of four captains and me becoming a fifth, just for one day, was the last irony of it all. "I don't think of myself as a former England captain. It came to me by complete happenstance but it was Goochie's job. He gave me my instructions. "Goochie said: 'Open up with Daffy (Phil DeFreitas) and Fozzie (Neil Foster). Then you come on at Daffy's end, bowl Fozzie through and then Daffy comes back at his end. And whatever you do, don't let (David) Capel bowl…' "Being captain of England for two sessions to be filed for me alongside appearing as an extra in Chariots of Fire. I captained England to another defeat against the best team in the world!" Click here to follow cricket on The Athletic and see more stories like this.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘I didn't like what happened' – Pep Guardiola in dig at Kyle Walker decision as four-man Man City captain group chosen
PEP GUARDIOLA aimed a dig at Kyle Walker after revealing his four-man captaincy group. The Manchester City boss confirmed his new set of skippers for the 2025-26 season. 4 It comes after the shambles last year which saw the players pick Kyle Walker - only for the full-back to quit the club midway through the season to join AC Milan on loan. Guardiola admitted he was not pleased with how the situation unfolded. So this time around, he has taken matters into his own hands and appointed his captains - rather than let the squad choose. With Walker's set to leave and part-time captain Kevin De Bruyne released, Guardiola has opted for Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland as his leadership quartet. Guardiola explained: 'I'm the manager. This season, for the first time in my career, I decided it would be my captain. "I didn't like what happened last season and I decided this season who will represent the team. 'Sometimes I want to be the boss, and this season I decided to do it, so I chose the four captains and at the end of the Club World Cup, maybe we will choose one or two more." Pressed on Haaland's promotion aged just 24, Guaridola added: 'He's so young, right, but he has to start to learn what it means to be a captain, because he will be here, hopefully, for many, many years, and that's why, sooner or later, he will take that position as the first one. "I think when you have Bernardo, you have Ruben, and you have Rodri, plus Gundogan, they have been unbelievable captains for us, he will learn. "He's incredibly respected, he's an important figure for us. 4 "Thinking about the future of this club, he has to start to learn what does it mean to be a captain." Haaland could take the armband during the Club World Cup, with City beginning their campaign against Wydad on Wednesday. But one man who won't be involved is Jack Grealish. The £100m record signing was left out of the squad for the United States with his City future in doubt. Guardiola revealed it was decided it was best that Grealish "didn't come here" as he looks to resolve his future - and gave the playmaker advice on how to reignite his stagnating career. SunSport revealed Napoli have joined Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen and Everton in the race for Grealish's signature. Should he end up at Everton, he may well be reunited with Walker. SunSport also told how the right-back has agreed a one-year deal at the Hill Dickson Stadium - after Milan opting against making his loan switch permanent. 4
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Pep Guardiola changes captaincy rules and drops major hint on new Man City skipper
Bernardo Silva has confirmed he will stay at Manchester City for the coming season – and he looks set to wear the captain's armband. The Portugal midfielder is entering the final year of his contract and has been linked with a move this summer after eight seasons at the Etihad Stadium. Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal were reportedly among the clubs interested in the 30-year-old but he has decided to reject any overtures to remain with City. His reward could be an enhanced senior role, with manager Pep Guardiola revealing Silva will be one of his four-strong captaincy group for the 2025-26 campaign. Silva said: 'This season will for sure be with Man City. I'm going to stay. 'I've had options in the past and this year but, like last year, this year my option is to stay at Man City.' Silva, speaking in Philadelphia ahead of City's opening match of the Club World Cup against Wydad Casablanca, would not say if it would be his final season in Manchester or not. He said: 'I know what I'm going to do but it's not the time to talk about that. I'm very focused on my season and performing well for Man City. When the time is due I will talk about it.' Guardiola has broken with his own protocols to name his group of on-field leaders himself this summer. The Catalan has previously allowed the squad and backroom staff to vote for their own captains but, after an underwhelming past season, he has taken control of the situation himself. Silva, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland were the four players named publicly by Guardiola on Tuesday. Silva received the most glowing report, suggesting that when fit and selected, it will be the former Monaco playmaker who leads out the team. 'I'm the manager and this season, for the first time in my career, I decided who is to be my captain,' said Guardiola. 'I didn't like what happened last season and I decided this season who represents the team. Sometimes I want to be the boss! 'I think Bernardo had been an incredible figure for us. Eight years here, no injures, always in the bad moments he makes a step up, sets the example on the pitch. 'Ruben it is not necessary to say. He has been (the same as Silva), and Rodri at the same time.' Those three players all featured in the leadership group last season, along with Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, but the elevation of 24-year-old Haaland is new. The prolific striker signed a 10-year contract in January and, after plundering 121 goals in 142 City appearances, is ready for the step up. Guardiola said: 'He has to start to learn what does it mean to be a captain because he will be here, hopefully for many, many years. 'Sooner or later he will take that position as the first one. I took (the decision) because he's incredibly respected. He's an important figure for us.' PA
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
A new leadership group has reportedly been unveiled at Manchester City
With Kevin De Bruyne having left Manchester City for Napoli, and Kyle Walker's City career seemingly over, Manchester City will enter the FIFA Club World Cup and the 25/26 with a new group of leaders. There are several standout candidates to take the captain's armband in Pep Guardiola's squad. The case for either Rodri or Ruben Dias to be Manchester City's next captain is strong. The pair are leaders through their actions both on and off the pitch. Erling Haaland is developing into a leader in the new-look City squad. Bernardo Silva is a player who leads by example on the pitch. Now a new report indicates that all four players will form Manchester City's captaincy group for the beginning of a new era at the club. The four-man captaincy group at Manchester City has reportedly been revealed. CityXtra has relayed a report from X account FPLMaineRoad that Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland will be Manchester City's group of captains for the 25/26 season. CityXtra's report can be seen below. Manchester City's new leadership group covers all bases. Looking at the reported choices for Manchester City's captaincy group, all bases are covered in terms of leadership styles and the age of the four players. Bernardo Silva is one of the senior members of Pep Guardiola's squad. With his work rate and ability to play in any role that is asked of him, he is a player who leads by example. Advertisement Rodri and Ruben Dias are in the prime years of their careers. Since arriving at Manchester City from Benfica, Ruben Dias has firmly established himself as Manchester City's defensive leader. Through his actions and play, Dias makes his teammates walk taller when on the pitch. His selection in City's captaincy group is a no-brainer. Rodri holds a similar standing to that of Ruben Dias in the Manchester City squad. Although Rodri is still working his way back to full form and fitness from an ACL injury, he remains Manchester City's most important player. When he is back to his best, his presence on the pitch will lift and inspire his teammates, so it is easy to see why Rodri would be selected in Manchester City's captaincy group. Erling Haaland's reported selection in Manchester City's leadership group speaks volumes about Haaland's progression as a leader. Erling Haaland captained Manchester City last season in their 4-nil win over Newcastle United at the Etihad last season. The performance from Haaland on that day was a typical captain's display. He put himself about on the pitch, and it showed that in time that Haaland is a future City captain. At 24 years of age, Haaland figures to one day become a captain in his own right at Manchester City. His reported promotion to City's captaincy group does show that it is a path that Haaland is on. Summary. Manchester City's reported captaincy group for the 25/26 season is an exciting mix. It features a senior player in Bernardo Silva and two players in Ruben Dias and Rodri who are in the prime of their careers. Erling Haaland's inclusion speaks to his standing at City, and does suggest that he will one day captain Manchester City.
