The Kolkata Knight Riders have decided not to have a fixed captain for IPL 2009. John Buchanan, the coach, told a press conference that the decision was “not a slight” to Sourav Ganguly but a plan for the future. He said there could be four or five captains through the tournament. Is this a case of another Australian coach having problems with Ganguly, the captain.
A grim-looking Ganguly, sitting beside Buchanan, refused to elaborate on the decision. When asked if he was upset by it, Ganguly did not answer directly and Buchanan interjected: “Of course he will be upset. He is the Prince of Kolkata.” Ganguly laughed and put his hands up and said “I am not upset”.
Ganguly said the plan was Buchanan’s. “He is the coach of the team and he has got to right to make decisions. We’ll see as it goes along. At the end of the day we all have to deliver.”
Buchanan said he was keen to change the whole approach to captaincy and leadership in cricket. “I really think in the course of this 20-over tournament we have the capacity to have the team coach, Matthew Mott, running the batting side of things. If we have to change the batting order or change personnel to fit a certain situation, then that is something that could fall under his control. “Once on the field, we have some very good leaders there in Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Brad Hodge and Sourav Ganguly. The laws of the game state that you need a captain for certain formal roles, such as the coin toss, but that aside, I see there is scope to challenge the way teams have been run in the past.
Another Australian coach having problems with Ganguly, the Captain ?
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