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CRICKET ROADSHOWS

Week 9 Review - 7 Jul, Edgbaston Skippers hold sway on Cricket Roadshow

[Exclusive video! 60 seconds with Slats]

Captains and captaincy was the central theme on Saturday morning's Channel 4 Cricket Roadshow, broadcast live from Edgbaston before the start of play in the England-Australia Test.

Mark Taylor, Sir Viv Richards, Richie Benaud, Nasser Hussain and Steve Waugh all talked about the skills required for successful leadership, with respect emerging as the key factor.

Taylor, who captained Australia so successfully before Waugh took over, talked about the importance of captain's understanding their players.

"I think personally it's more important to be stronger as a man-manager than tactically. The tactics will follow if you've got the man-management side right. If you've got the players behind you it doesn't matter what tactics you employ in the middle. If the players think they are going to be the right tactics they'll make them the right tactics," he said.

"I think when Steve took over he wasn't a natural, but I don't think anyone's a real natural for the job. You grow into it, you get to know your players, you win the respect of your players. You don't just get the respect of your players because you're captain, you have to earn it.

"Things didn't go that well for Steve in the first six months but he made some tough decisions and as he's done all his career, especially the latter half of his career, he got very tough with the bat and led from the front."

Richards agreed, adding that body language was also crucial on the field of play.

"There have been times during this match, especially when Steve was batting, that England's body language wasn't the same as it was against the West Indies last year, and I think that's going to be very important," said the former West Indies skipper.

Meanwhile, Waugh and Hussain indulged in some mutual appreciation, with Waugh kicking off by praising the impact Hussain has had on England's improved showing in the past 18 months.

"He's got a good record and has the respect of his players, which is important. He commands authority on the field and leads from the front, and that's what you want from a leader. He's done well and I respect him but I'm not going to think too much about him, I'm thinking about what I'm going to do and how my team's going and what our preparation's been like."

Hussain's response was equally positive: "I think that any side that's ever played cricket would want Steve Waugh in it as a character.

"He's a gutsy fighter. You can have all the talent you want in life but it's that inward gutsy fighting. Steve has always been a fine captain and also one of the finest players.

"Hopefully we've both got the respect of our teams, which is the most important thing as far as I'm concerned."

Benaud, who also knows a thing or two about captaincy, also got in on the act.

"You saw yesterday the way Steve Waugh thinks; he was thinking well ahead. A good captain has got to be two overs ahead of the play all the time but Steve Waugh was about ten overs ahead yesterday. He wanted a little lead at the close of play yesterday, although he didn't know it was going to be rain-affected."

On a slightly different tip he also confirmed his growing cult status among cricket fans. Not only is he widely considered the finest television commentator around, the great man also has his own computer-animated caricature – Desktop Richie – and this morning admitted to running around the Brighton lanes chanting the Sussex batting averages in his youth.

The former Australia captain revealed all in response to a snooty newspaper article criticizing C4's Brighton beach extravaganza last night.

"It does take me back to the times I used to do that - disrobing and racing through the lanes, not on horseback, just racing through the lanes chanting the Sussex batting averages. It was great fun," said Benaud.

The Brighton festivities – big screen coverage during the day followed by live dance music courtesy of Fat Boy Slim and Groove Armada - were covered by C4's own intrepid reporter, Adam Darke, who managed to trek back up to Birmingham in time for this morning's show.

Following a fascinating insight into the family heritage of Derbyshire's Chris Bassano, he asked Dermot Reeve – another successful captain – about the merits of employing overseas players who qualified for England due to their parents' ancestry.

"I think what's important is that if they do come over here then they improve the standard of the game. I think if you're good enough to play for England then you'll come through the system anyway. If these players come over and raise the standard then that will help the game.

"All the counties are under pressure to perform and win trophies, and if they get these players over who knows, they might get someone like Craig White or Andy Caddick who does commit to England and ends up strengthening the England team," said Reeve.

Elsewhere on the show there was a profile of Andy Caddick, Ashley Giles talked to Sybil Ruscoe about the first two days of the Test, Dennis Amiss recalled great Edgbaston matches of the past and Brett Lee told Michael Slater about his secret ambition to be a rock star.

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