From the Noob to the Nawab - MAK Pataudi, the Tiger's tale!

MAK Pataudi: An enigmatic leader

The first thing that Pataudi did was to constitute an Indian team that was difficult to beat – he created a team. He evicted much of the narrow-mindedness and internal politics that prevailed in Indian cricket, by being transparent and honest. He demanded for players who performed and refused to carry passengers on the tours.

He was the first person who introduced the word “strategy” in Indian cricket. He convinced the selectors to play their best bowlers irrespective of the conditions and came up with the four spinner theory.

“I have never believed in the horses-for-courses theory… A bad seamer will not get you wickets on a green top and a bad spinner will not get you wickets on a turner. I played four spinners because they happened to be the best bowlers around.” – MAK Pataudi

When he took over the side, India was still suffering from the colonial hangover and the players lacked in self belief. He took it on himself to make the players realise their true worth.

According to Pataudi, “Sometimes players themselves don’t know how good they can be. Then you make him realise his importance to the team, how the team depends on him, and how he will let his side down if he doesn’t perform at his very best.”

Pataudi became a leader of an India that was battered and bruised after gaining independence. Perhaps becoming a Nawab at the age of 11 helped him guide a team that needed direction and strong leadership. He was the first Indian captain to focus on “Indianness”, shunning out parochialism and any regional biases in the dressing room.

Pataudi channeled all his energies towards building an Indian side for the future. Although, during his Oxford days, he seemed destined to become one of the greats of the game as a batsman, the injury to his eye, forced him to rely more on his instincts rather than his technique.

“Some captains lead from the front and some push from the back…I wanted to lead from the front but I found myself a long way from being the best player after my accident. So it was a question of pushing” – MAK Pataudi

He knew that at the highest level of cricket, his batting would fall short and so, he abandoned his early ambition of becoming one of the greatest batsmen and chose to become a leader who pushed his team to extract the best out of them.

Yet, Pataudi never took refuge of excuses or indulged in any self pity and to measure him just by his captaincy or Test record as a batsman will do him no justice. His true contribution to Indian cricket went beyond realms of the cricket field. He lifted Indian cricket from the abyss of negativity and tameness to instill the belief of “belonging to the highest level.”

He brought in an era of tactical boldness that was unheard of in Indian cricket. His control over his side during his tenure at the helm was commendable and was a cause of envy for the Indian cricketing establishment.

“Tiger” Pataudi wasn’t perfect, he and his ways had their own flaws but none dared to challenge his authority because of the aura that surrounded him. He was not the best cricketer during his time but his influence on Indian cricket was second to none.

He was known as “the Noob” during his Oxford days but the “Noob” made Indian cricket stylish. The lifted shirt collar, the cap slightly tipped to the right, the handkerchief tied round his neck and the prowl in the covers oozed confidence and royalty, yet he always chose to underplay his achievements.

“In the country of the blind, it had been said, the one-eyed man is king. But in the keen-eyed world of cricket a fellow with just one good eye-and-a-bit has to settle for something less than the perfection he once sought. Lucky me, despite this, to have been able to play the game all over the world in the company of the giants.” – MAK Pataudi, the first superstar of Indian Cricket.