It is difficult being a leader of men. It is even tougher being a leader of great men. That is precisely the reason why one must listen when Ricky Ponting talks about leadership. There is a confidence and poise that comes as part and parcel of having the name of the best team in the world being associated with you at all times.
When Ponting became the 42nd player to captain Australia's Test team, he had a lot to live up to. He was stepping into the shoes of Steve Waugh — a player who had the best ever record as a skipper in international cricket.
"Having a vision is important but it is also important to lead from the front. You have to realise that teammates are looking at your every move and you cannot afford to let them down," said Ponting at an ING-Vysya meet in Mumbai. "But perhaps the most important tool for a skipper is communication and by that I do not mean only the on-field part.
"It is important to know your teammates away from the game because it gives you a good idea of what makes them tick. It gives you a good idea of how to motivate them."
There are many players who believe that being skipper means that you have to stop being one of the ‘boys'. But Ponting isn't one who believes in that philosophy.
"Distancing myself from the team isn't something that I was comfortable doing. But just because I am one with the ‘boys' doesn't mean that they don't know who takes the decisions when push comes to shove," he said. "I have been open and honest around the team. And I like getting inputs from around the team. I realise and know that everything I say will not be correct 100 per cent of the time. Captaincy is a great thrill for me and it's sometimes nice to be able to stand up for your team and to prove people wrong."
Considering how well Australia do most of the time, it doesn't look like a lot of motivation is needed. But Ponting believes that having one or two champion players in the team helps.
"These players have the ability to affect the rest. I mean, when you look at Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, these guys will perform brilliantly one day and then wake up the next day, wanting to better their performance. They are never satisfied. That is perhaps the best example to the others," he said.
"McGrath and Warne often pick on a batsman before the start of the series and that is their way of motivating themselves to give their best. It isn't something that I'd recommend but if something works then I am not messing with that. They like the pressure and they bring it upon themselves"
Ponting's greatness as a batsman was assured early in his career but yet there were moments when he experienced periods of self doubt.
"Perhaps a big turning point for my career was when I moved into the number three slot again. I had been batting at number six and I just didn't know how to prepare for an innings at that position. Number three and four is where I had batted all my life. It's just that I felt more at home at number three."
That is a pointer to India coach Greg Chappell and skipper Rahul Dravid, who continue to experiment in their quest to find the right players for the 2007 World Cup.
- ASHISH MAGOTRA