Skippers & players at loggerheads

The latest fracas between Simon Katich and Michael Clarke is not the new incident of skippers and players being at the loggerheads with each other in the annals of cricket. We present herewith some previous happenings:

MOHAMMAD AZHARUDDIN & NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU (INDIA): One of the team's leading players, Navjot Singh Sidhu, flew home in a huff after a bitter disagreement with his captain Mohammad Azharuddin before the Test matches started during the tour of England in 1996.

The skipper was accused of poor communications and being distant from his players, and endured mutterings about his personal life. He had left his wife and two children a few months earlier and his girlfriend, a glamorous product of the "Bollywood" film industry, was by his side for much of the tour.

Spat with Clarke resulted in my axe, says Katich  |  Lele reveals why Sidhu walked out of 1996 England tour

His form with the bat virtually evaporated: he managed to score just 42 runs in five Test innings! Jayawant Lele, the then Secretary of BCCI, wrote in his autobiography that "Azhar used abusive language with Sidhu".

VIZIANAGARAM & LALA AMARNATH (INDIA): During Indian tour of England in 1936, skipper Vizianagaram, known as "Vizzy" scored a respectable 600 runs on the tour, but he is remembered more for his decision to send home the allegedly rebellious Lala Amarnath and for his shocking demand to Mushtaq Ali to run Vijay Merchant out in a Test match.

Incidents such as these have clouded his reputation. After a special enquiry months later, Amarnath was exonerated and toured England again in 1946.

Described as a 'pure romantic, the Byron of Indian cricket', Amarnath at his best was an all-rounder of international class indeed.

GARRY GOMEZ & ANDREW GANTEAUME (WEST INDIES): A diminutive, consistent right-handed opening batsman and deputy wicket-keeper, Andy Ganteaume marked his Test debut against England at the Port of Spain, Trinidad in the second match of the 1947-48 series with a dogged innings of 112. His captain Garry Gomez sent out a note in which he claimed he had asked the debutant to speed up the innings so that the Windies can push for victory.

But the opener failed to do so and he paid the price for the same as he never represented his team again at international level. The Windies also boost of three Ws - Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes & Clyde Walcott - in
their batting line-up.

Text: Anant Gaundalkar

Image: AFP