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A captain by any other name should manage just as well. That must be
what South African cricket thought when the process to replace Graeme
Smith as limited-overs leader began in August 2010.
Two and a half years on, they have been through four captains but have
not found a long-term replacement. The search for someone who has
security in team position, aptitude, and the willingness to do the job
full time is still on, as concerns grow about AB de Villiers' suitability. It is something South Africa have to address seriously as they plan for three ICC events in three years.
Johan Botha
was initially named Smith's successor and he was a good choice. Botha
is a natural leader who is comfortable enough with himself to know when
to delegate and when to take charge. His tactical acumen is solid and he
thinks about the game in interesting ways.
But Botha was not kept in the frame for long. He was stripped of the
role 11 months on, when South Africa's management structure changed.
Following that, he was slowly shifted out of the team to its fringes.
Eventually, sensing the end was near, he asked to be released from his
national contract to take up a position at South Australia, where he
would captain the state team in all formats. Botha last played for South
Africa at the World Twenty20 last September and all indications from
both him and the administrators are that he will not return to the fold.
When Botha was dislodged, a new think tank was put in place, with de Villiers and Hashim Amla
as Smith's sidekicks. Although de Villiers had never captained a team
before, at any level, his enthusiasm and team-man attitude made it seem
he was perfect for the job. Amla was a less obvious choice, having
always shied away from leadership, but he excitedly said he was ready
for a different challenge and understood he would be de Villiers'
understudy in limited-overs teams, even though he was not a regular in
the T20 side at the time.
It has been 18 months since those decisions were made and questions are
being asked about whether they were the correct ones. De Villiers
appears increasingly uncomfortable with the role and Amla has shunned
his part in it. Instead Faf du Plessis,
who at the time of the appointments was only just starting to establish
his place in the ODI side but has since become a regular across all
three formats, has captained South Africa in a T20 series and will now
take charge of the rest of the ODI series against New Zealand because of
de Villiers' suspension.
A slow over rate cost de Villiers the chance to immerse himself in the
intricacies of captaincy, as was the plan for this series. To that end, he gave up the wicketkeeping gloves so he could get a different perspective on the game.
It was this time last year, almost to the day, that de Villiers captained South Africa for the first time, against Sri Lanka in Paarl.
South Africa won convincingly after scoring 301 and bowling Sri Lanka
out for 43. De Villiers was hugely satisfied with the win but looked
hassled. He confessed that because things had happened so fast, he
wasn't able to have sufficient time with his bowlers to discuss field
placements and strategies, and said he felt out of control as the match
went on.
He has been in charge in nine more ODIs and eight T20s. Before this
series, he said almost exactly the same thing he did after the crushing
win over Sri Lanka. He still felt he needed to be closer to the bowlers
so that he could communicate better with them and he said felt rushed on
the field.
| Long before he was considered captaincy material, de Villiers made it clear he wanted to become the best batsman in the world and did not want to keep wicket. He has since, in the words of convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson "changed his mind" to the point where he was willing to sacrifice a year of his career to do the job | |||
That his concerns were almost identical to what they were a year ago
could simply mean de Villiers needs more time to get to grips with
captaincy. It could also point to his own uncertainty and
indecisiveness, two traits that should appear only in very small
quantities in a captain's kit but seem to feature more with de Villiers.
To illustrate that, consider that not only has he struggled to get to
grips with leadership, he has also continually wavered about his role in
the team. Long before he was considered captaincy material, de Villiers
made it clear he wanted to become the best batsman in the world and did
not want to keep wicket. He has since, in the words of convenor of
selectors Andrew Hudson, "changed his mind" to the point where he was
willing to sacrifice of "a year of my career" because of his bad back,
to do the job.
When de Villiers was asked to take over
as a limited-overs captain, it was put to him that the triple task of
keeping, leading and batting would be too much. De Villiers did not
agree with such suggestions. Neither did those who appointed him,
specifically Gary Kirsten, although he has also changed his mind about
that now and said he was "always concerned" the burden on de Villiers
would be too great.
As a result, they have had to make a plan to rest de Villiers so he can
continue keeping in Tests. He passed the gloves on in limited-overs, a
dual solution that also allowed him to "focus on captaincy." It appeared
a clever solution to all de Villiers' concerns but it did not ease the
one about his ability, not willingness, to captain.
De Villiers continually claims to be unsure of the skills needed and the
style of captaincy he should adopt. He has yet to find his way despite a
reasonable amount of time in the job. He could have had even more time
if he had gone to the unofficial T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe to June last
year.
Instead it was Amla who took South Africa to that event, as a
vice-captain rightly should. The same Amla who now wants the armband as
far away from his shirt as the alcohol-manufacturer sponsor's logo.
Although Amla captained South Africa at Under-19 level and had a stint
in charge of Dolphins, he has always been a reluctant leader. At
Dolphins his period as captain coincided with a lack of personal runs,
and that seems to have put him off captaining for good.
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Still, Amla stood in for de Villiers once, in what was supposed to be de
Villiers captaincy debut, against Australia in October 2011. De
Villiers picked up an injury at the Champions League, so Amla led South
Africa to a T20 series draw and ODI series loss. His own form suffered
and he indicated it was not a job he would want again.
That view has not changed. When ESPNcricinfo spoke to a source close to
the team minutes after news broke that de Villiers was ruled out of the
remaining ODIs against New Zealand, they said it was unlikely Amla would
take over. A CSA release later confirmed that Amla wanted to
"concentrate on his batting" and that the selectors would grant him his
wish.
Amla, like Jacques Kallis, obviously wants no part in captaincy. In
being largely left alone to play his own game, Kallis has given South
Africa more than any other cricketer. Amla may do the same. In which
case he has to lose the vice-captain tag. He probably won't even notice
its gone.
It should probably go the way of du Plessis, who has emerged as a
candidate to take over the main job too. Du Plessis was a captain at
school level and a former leader of South Africa's A side, and seems to
enjoy the extra responsibility.
Promoting him, maybe even above de Villiers, should not be seen as an
insult to de Villiers or Amla. It should rather be seen as responding to
the changing times. When de Villiers was put in charge of the
limited-overs teams he was not the Test wicketkeeper and his concerns
about the captaincy had not been developed. Circumstances and
experiences may require a shift in policy.
A decade of Smith meant that South African cricket had not had to debate
about another leader for most of that time. Even when doubts about
Smith started to emerge, it was always clear that he had the ability to
lead and the presence that would prompt others to follow him. In two
weeks' time, Smith will captain South Africa for the 100th occasion in a
Test match. He is undisputedly the best captain this country has had,
and if they want another like him, sensible decisions must be made to
find one.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent
Feeds: Firdose Moonda
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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