Cricket and football share a lot of similarities. In both games, each team comprises of eleven players, there are umpires on the field, and there is also a TV umpire. However, a football manager is much active on the football field than a cricket coach. The cricket rules do not permit the coaches to give coaching to players during the match. At the same time, the rule book of football allows the managers to provide instructions to the players.
The fans of both games can still draw similarities between cricket captains and football managers. Here’s a look at the top five great cricket captain who shared similar traits with football managers.
Sachin Tendulkar – Diego Maradona
Sachin Tendulkar will go down as one of the best batsmen in cricket history. However, when someone has a look at his captaincy record, even Mashrafe Mortaza did a better job than Tendulkar. In the same way, Diego Maradona was exceptional as a footballer, but when he got the responsibility of managing his national football team, he failed. Tendulkar and Maradona were excellent players but below average leaders.
Brendon McCullum – Marcelo Bielsa
Brendon McCullum revolutionized New Zealand cricket with his aggressive captaincy skills. The cricket fans thought he was mad because he went hard right from ball one even in Test cricket, but the fact is Baz led the Kiwis to their maiden World Cup finale in 2015. In the same way, the fans questioned Marcelo Bielsa’s crazy tactics helped his clubs and teams succeed. The Chilean fans had once launched a campaign to stop his exit. The same way cricket fans were disappointed when McCullum quit New Zealand’s captaincy.
Sourav Ganguly – Jurgen Klopp
After Sachin Tendulkar stepped down as the Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly took the team to the next level. He believed in staying aggressive but at the same time, keep his focus on the team’s performance. Nobody can forget the way he celebrated after India’s Natwest Series win in 2002. Jurgen Klopp has the same traits. He is expressive, but his teams have had a high success rate.
MS Dhoni – Carlo Ancelotti
MS Dhoni has a very relaxed mind that helps him stay calm in the most intense situations. He has inspired India and Chennai Super Kings to several memorable victories to earn everyone’s respect. On the football field, Carlo Ancelotti has done the same job. He gained the fans’ respect by staying calm and focusing on the team’s results.
Sir Clive Llyod – Sir Alex Ferguson
Both the legendary leaders played the same role in their respective team’s rise. Sir Clive Lloyd established West Indies as a force to reckon with in cricket by starring the team’s two World Cup wins. Sir Alex Ferguson played the same role for Manchester United as he helped the club become giants in the EPL.
