Captains in the making in world cricket

When it comes to a team sport such as cricket, the captain is one of the most valuable assets for a team. It is the captain who shoulders the lion’s share of responsibilities on the field. The captain not only has to perform to the best of his abilities as a cricketer, but he also has to manage his men and maintain a bubble of positivity around the team. Being the front runner in the squad, the skipper isn’t expected to cut a slack even in the worst of conditions, making it all the more a challenging job.

While some skippers are renowned for their aggression, the others are feared by the opposition for their cool as a cucumber demeanor. But what all these men have in common is their hunger to win; all of them refuse to back down, no matter how difficult the opponent is because their ultimate dream is to see their nation victorious at the highest of platforms.

To name a few captains with illustrious careers, we have Clive Lloyd for the West Indies, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting for Australia, Mike Atherton for England, and Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni for the Indians. Hence, in the game of cricket, being handed with the baton of captaincy is a matter of pride of honor for any youngster. Currently, all the top cricket teams in the world are headed by able men, who have proved their worth time and again.

Let’s take a look at the plausible fresh crop of cricketers, who may be expected to pilot their national teams in the years to come.

Peter Handscomb (Australia)

Australia has been known to produce great captains throughout the years, with the names of Don Bradman, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke glinting in gold amidst the never-ending list. Batsman, Peter Handscomb is a likely candidate to get his name on to the list.

Handscomb has consistently been a part of the Australian team since the Under-19s and has also captained the Australia A team in the past. The 27-year old cricketer was first noted for his prolific performance in the Sheffield shield for his side, Victoria. Since then he’s scored 829 runs in 13 Test matches for his nation, at an average of 47.35

Handscomb possesses an indomitable spirit and the ability to lift the morale of his team, which makes him stand first up in the line of probable future captains.

Ben Stokes (England)

The current vice-captain of the England Test team, Ben Stokes has been heralded as a goldmine of talent ever since he started playing for the national team. A reliable all-rounder, 27-year old Stokes is a spirited cricketer, who is up for a challenge. He has a staggering total of 2579 runs in 42 Test matches, with a highest personal score of 258 runs.

In the bowling department, he has scalped 98 Test wickets in 42 Test matches. The Durham prodigy is known for his superb temperament on the field and is definitely the guy to look out for when it comes to future captaincy.

Hardik Pandya (India)

24-year old Hardik Pandya grabbed eyeballs with his playing stint for the Mumbai Indian franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Legend, Sachin Tendulkar had predicted that the Baroda boy would make it big, way before he made his debut for the national side. Armed with a fearless attitude and genuine all-rounder skills, Pandya is a new generation’s ideal captain in the making.

Memorably, in his debut IPL game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he hit a six off just the second ball he faced, showing the world that he was here to stay. What makes the youngster stick out amongst the crowd is his ability to maintain his nerve in the most adverse situations; something that is an absolute must for a captaincy contender.

Tom Latham (New Zealand)

Tom Latham has represented New Zealand in all formats and has captained them in ODIs as well. Son of the former all-rounder, Rod Latham, the 26-year old has played in every position from No.1 to 9 for his team and also served as a reserve wicket-keeper.

He has made his best performances at the top of the order and has made his name for being an old-school Test cricket opener who tires out the new-ball bowlers with his sound technique, and subsequently, makes it easier for the stroke-makers who follow. He has 6 centuries to his name from 36 Test matches and is a rock-solid candidate to fill the captaincy role for the Black Caps in future.

Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Young Babar Azam has played as a right-handed batsman for Pakistan, starting right from the Under-15 squad to the national side. He captained the Pakistan side in the 2012 Under-19 World cup, where he also became the highest run-getter for his team. Having been included in the Test team in late 2016, the 22-year old oozes talent.

He scored three consecutive One-Day International (ODI) tons against the Windies in 2016 in the UAE, which gave the world a glimpse of what this youngster is capable of. If groomed properly, Babar Azam may turn out to be one of the best bets for the role of future Pakistan skipper.

Asela Gunaratne (Sri Lanka)

Post the retirement of their batting legends, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan team has been in a state of disarray. However, Asela Gunaratne is one of the stars that have risen from within the team during the rebuilding phase. An aggressive middle order batsman, who possesses a variety of innovative shots, Gunaratne fills the shoes of an all-rounder by means of his handy medium pace bowling.

Armed with a healthy batting average of 56.88 in Test cricket, along with a bowling average of 38.00, Gunaratne’s heroics includes a particularly scintillating knock of 84 in 46 balls against Australia in February 2017, which helped his team claim the T20 series. In his innings, the 31-year old cricketer smashed three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over, showcasing his nerves of steel and a gritty disposition.

Sabbir Rahman (Bangladesh)

25-year old Sabbir Rahman is a growing star in the Bangladesh cricketing circles. A batting all-rounder, Rahman was a part of the 2010 Under-19 squad for the World Cup in New Zealand. The cricketer has scored over 1,500 first-class runs with an average of 31.83 already in his career.

He has also been a playing member in the 2015 World Cup for his nation and the youngster sports a cool nature, paired with a natural intensity out in the middle. Amongst his many credentials, he holds the record for the highest ever individual score in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) history(122).

Quinton de Kock (South Africa)

Known to be an exemplary opening batsman and equally artful behind the wickets, Quinton de Kock has brilliance written all over his career. Having made his Test debut for the Proteas in 2014, de Kock has been a steady participant in the national squad. The 25-year old lad has been a part of the South Africa Under-19 team in the past.

He has a staggering strike rate of 70.3 in Test cricket, along with 3 centuries. He has been recognized and appreciated for his fearless style of batting time and again and has even been compared to greats of the game like Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher. With consistent hard work and good performances, de Kock stands a good chance to become the future captain for the South African team.