After the league stage and quarterfinals we are down to the last four teams in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. The four teams- Australia, India, New Zealand and South Africa will now battle it out for a place in finals. New Zealand is set to take on South Africa while the defending Champions will square off against Australia. The captains of each teams have been instrumental is scripting the success stories of the respective teams. Here, we take a look at four skippers who steered their side into the semis.
1. Michael Clarke From a personal standpoint, what a year Clarke has had! Being shunted out after yet another back injury and losing his friend Phillip Hughes and making eyes moist with his heart-wrenching speech, 2015 has been an emotional rollercoaster. He made a spirited hundred in the first Test against India and recovered from yet another injury blow just in the nick of time for the World Cup. Australia as a nation lost a much loved son in Phillip Hughes and it will be fitting if Clarke lifts the cup on March 29th. Clarke’s ultra-aggressive captaincy skills can only be matched by Brendon McCullum and knows how to get the best out his bowlers. His ultra-attacking approach has found widespread praise.
2. MS Dhoni India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men received widespread criticism before the tournament started. From being favourites, India’s stock plummeted on the eve of the tournament as they struggled to buy a win Down Under. India, typically Dhoni-like, went about their task in a quiet, unassuming manner and have found their groove back with seven wins on the trot. India’s fortunes in the knockout stages have become exponentially better in recent years. Despite facing Australia with an inferior bowling attack, it won’t be much of surprise if Dhoni can mastermind the Men in Blue to a second consecutive World Cup final. In terms of experience and know-how, not to forget his monk-like composure at this stage, Dhoni holds all the cards. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Schedule in IST: Time Table, Fixture & Venue Details of all WC 2015 Matches.
3. AB de Villiers As a batsman, everything about AB de Villers is new age — outrageous sweep shots, reverse and paddle sweeps complimented with a footwork that looks less from a Cricket manual and more from a Yoga book. His captaincy though, is strictly old school; he is the team’s go-to man, someone who is faithful to the ‘Leading from the front’ brand of leadership. That disarming charm of De Villiers can juxtapose seamlessly with a steely look and a fierce determination to win. After the defeat against Pakistan (De Villiers played a wonderful knock there), the Proteas skipper publicly criticized his team’s tepid shows in the early exchanges of the World Cup. The team has reacted to the skipper’s provocation. It’s a funny thing, this World Cup. The best players need not win the World Cup but some of them have.
4. Brendon McCullum While one captain got a team to live up to their potential, Brendon McCullum sent out a war cry to the whole of New Zealand. The Kiwi skipper sent out flyers with his signature requesting his fellow countrymen to come out in numbers and invest their vocal chords for New Zealand to get to their first final. McCullum has led from the front with his ‘Butchering Bevan’ kind of starts at the top of the order. Tactically, the 33-year-old is in a league of his own. With the all-round skills of New Zealand, it will be fitting if the best captain in the team can lift the World Cup crown.
Photo Credit: Jyoti Desale
