Saturday, May 22, 2021

Leadership Style of Imran Khan as Cricket Captain and as Prime Minister

Imran Khan leadership style:
Is IK trying to run the country exactly as he ran the captaincy of Pakistan cricket team?  Favoritism in picking up players, holding of personal grudges against fellow players, and being vindictive against those who dared to disagree with him. Habit of making arbitrary and adhoc decisions, which worked in cricket because cricket is largely a game that depends too much on indidual brilliance. Cricket is a game where a team's spectacular performance is often a chance; a coincidence of glorious uncertainties when a few individuals happen to click together to produce scintillating results....

A comment on the following Pic of my post :
"It is reputed that during 1992 world cup, he had personal grudge with Jawed Miandad. He did not take him in his team. When Pakistan lost first three round matches, then he called Miandad. He had ruined the careers of Basit Ali, Qasim Umer and many others. He is considered to hate Karachaits. Very highly egoistic. He always promoted the players who belonged to Punjab. He is still maintaining the quota system, whereas he gives the examples of meritocracy. "
Need references to this quote above.

" Reading the earlier of his two autobiographies suggests that Imran was anything but a pleasant youngster. He seems to have been petulant, arrogant and a very bad loser, something at which he had plenty of practice where cricket was concerned. "
[From Imran Khan: Made in England by Martin Chandler https://www.cricketweb.net/imran-khan-made-in-england/]

" Imran was honest enough to write of himself; The 1971 tour party to England contained one player who must surely rank as the rawest, most conceited cricketer ever to represent his country. At the start of the tour he had problems with his run up and found it difficult to control the swing of the ball in English conditions and after just eight expensive wickets he was in no form at all going into the first Test. In fact had it not been for injuries to Salim and Sarfraz he would have been nowhere near the side and he was selected only by dint of Pakistan quite literally having no other option." [Source IK's first book]

Disclaimer:
No one is disputing IK's individual brilliance in bowling (especially his in cutters) and his batting. I have also been his admirer as a cricketer. Here we are only comparing IK's leadership style as the captain of cricket team and his leadership style as a PM. There are several common traits of his personality that are now visible and also comparable.

My Interest in Cricket:
I have been listening/watching cricket since 1972. Have read all cricket related news from 1973 till 1990s published in Dawn and Jang. Had a collection of The Cricketer magazine of 1970s and 1980s. I have read books written by Bradman, Illingworth and also Imran. I was listening to international test matches worldwide on shortwave radios in 1970s and 1980s. For example, I listened to centenary test between England and Australia in 1976-77 where Randall scored a century. Used to go regularly to British Council to read Cricketer International in 1980s. Have read several articles of famous cricket writers such as the legendary John Arlott. I used to have a collection of urdu cricketer magazine. Watched and followed Kerry pecker saga.l of late 1970s where IK blossomed. I read about IK's learnings from South African Mike Proctor and others. Remember this was all pre internet/YouTube...there after the match fixing turned me off the cricket.

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