2019 World Cup: Rating the captains of all ten teams
The ICC World Cup 2019 finally came to an end with England emerging as the champions in the final at Lord's on Sunday. The 10-team tournament saw a league stage followed by the knock-outs. Captaincy played a major role, especially during the knock-outs. Here we rate the captaincy of all ten sides in the 2019 ICC World Cup.
Kane Williamson gets 9.5/10 for having a defining campaign
Kane Williamson never gave up. The silent assassin was a thorough gentleman throughout the tourney. Even under the most pressure situations he looked composed. Williamson led from the front and got New Zealand to the final. He mastered the art of keeping his side in the game despite low scores. Kane took the responsibility and handled his bowling and fielding options well.
England's Eoin Morgan gets 9/10
The role of Eoin Morgan was to come out and change England's fortunes after a dismal 2015 World Cup. He paved a way for the English cricketers to go out and express themselves without feeling a burden of failing. England stuck to their favorites tag and Morgan handled the side well. His decision to go in with six bowlers was a masterstroke.
India's Virat Kohli gets 7.5/10
30-year-old Virat Kohli was at his best as a captain in CWC 19. He was pro-active, handled his bowlers well, set the field right and extracted the maximum out of everyone. The Indian captain was passionate and even excelled as a batsman. Kohli looked mature and was appreciated for his captaincy by legend Sourav Ganguly. However, in semis, he made tactical blunders.
Australia's Aaron Finch gets 7/10 rating
Australia's Aaron Finch looked sorted as a skipper. He stepped up in the group stage and was spot on with his decision-making with the bowlers. Finch placed the right fields and had men in catching positions. With the bat he governed the top order alongside David Warner. One poor outing in the semi-final saw his side get outplayed. Overall, he did well.
Sarfaraz Ahmed gets 6/10 for two contrasting halves
Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed missed the plot early on in terms of team selection. His decision to persist with a side that failed was pretty alarming. But Sarfaraz picked up momentum when the going got tough. With his side needing four wins out of four to stay in the hunt, he got things right and attacked opposition teams. NRR hurt fifth-placed Pakistan's semi-final hopes.
Karunaratne gets 5.5/10 as Lankan skipper
Sri Lanka finished sixth in the league table and there were flashes of brilliance and madness. Dimuth Karunaratne deserves to be credited for not shying away. He was given captaincy nod just ahead of the World Cup. Dimuth got an inconsistent side to perform to their best capability. Their wins over England and West Indies were positive moments. Players' shot selection hurt Lanka badly.
How did the others fare?
Mashrafe Mortaza's Bangladesh showed character and promise, but lacked the intent. South Africa's Faf du Plessis looked off as a leader. Gulbadin Naib's lack of experience hurt Afghanistan. West Indian skipper Jason Holder missed the plot and didn't offer much.
