He’s the best captain Australia never had. If such a statement was made a few years ago, when Shane Warne was still spinning his way to becoming one of the world’s leading wickettakers, it would have been dismissed as an overstatement. After one-and-ahalf seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), you’re tempted to wonder: Would he have been better at leading the Aussies than, say, a Ricky Ponting?
 Shane Warne Age: 39 Captain, Rajasthan Royals |
He’s often been referred to as a flawed genius and many in the know feel that’s the reason why he wasn’t made captain of Australia. Warne has, over the years, grabbed as much column centimetres for his alleged drug abuse, extramarital high jinks and his penchant for rubbing shoulders with the bookies as he has for his wickets. Does that take away some of the gloss from his leadership material? Perhaps, but Warne’s apparent frailties also show him to be human. That’s why he’s, perhaps, the only foreign captain in the IPL (along with another Aussie Adam Gilchrist) to have struck a bond of empathy with Indian players. “He also has an innate ability to identify a role for each player and help them fulfil that role by giving them the confidence. In a team with players of several nationalities and languages, he gets his message across, exemplifying exceptional communication skills,” adds Krishnan.
Another often-underrated quality—at least by leadership gurus—is Warne’s sheer charm, which allows him to get the best out of his lot. The wild—or dark, if you insist—side of Warne is petering out over time and what promises to emerge is a complete leader, who has a keen understanding of the game—and equally important—its players.
—Reported by Anusha Subramanian
