SHANE Warne was concerned Australia coach Darren Lehmann is usurping some of the captain’s duties. Steve Smith, fill-in captain for most of the Tests, was quick to re-assure him the skipper IS still in charge.

Why is it so important the captain rather than the coach runs a cricket team?

Unlike the various codes of football where much of the strategy is decided (by the coaching staff) prior to kick-off, tactics on the field are constantly changing in a cricket match and depend a lot on the gut-feel and instincts of the captain.

media_camera Aussie coach Darren Lehmann has been a help but has to know his place.

A captain has to be convinced the tactics have a chance of succeeding and that’s less likely if they are devised by someone else.

A captain also has to be alert to changing tack quickly, and if he waits to be told by an off-field source then the team is in trouble.

A good cricket captain is pro-active; he’s ahead of the game.

By contrast a poor cricket captain is reactive and his field placings tend to be dictated by where the ball has just gone; that team’s bowlers are in big trouble.

Captaincy has to have a rhyme or reason; this bowler doesn’t look like taking a wicket, we need a change. Or, there’s a wicket just around the corner, I can feel it, let’s stick with this combination.

Or, a new batsman arrives at the crease and a bowler has a good record against him; the captain needs to bring him into the attack before the willow wielder has a chance to get his eye in. The field placings need to reflect the expected manner of dismissal.

Good captaincy is like pornography; it’s hard to define but you know it when you see it.

media_camera Ian Chappell says Michael Clarke should be in charge of on-field decisions.

If a captain has to be alerted to situations by an off-field coach, it’s already too late. However, the time is right to replace the captain.

The captain has many sources of information which aren’t available to the coach. Most important is the wicketkeeper. A smart one can tell the captain how a bowler is traveling. If you want the truth ask the keeper.

The bowler is another source and field placings are mainly predicated on how he’s trying to dismiss the batsman.

The captain also needs to check occasionally for exhaustion.

In a tense match I went to Dennis Lillee on a hot, humid Trinidad day, with the dust rising from the ground and asked him; “How are you going?”

When he tried to answer and no words came out, I realised I’d over-bowled him. It was hard to be perceptive with Lillee because he was always wanted; “another one”.

Then there’s the vice-captain and senior players - with the captain’s encouragement, they can provide good suggestions.

On-field sources complement a captain’s knowledge and instincts. Advice from off the field, well meaning as it might be, is too late to help.

And there’s a problem if the coach second guesses the captain. The last thing a captain needs to hear when he comes off at lunch or tea is; “Perhaps you should’ve done this or that.”

The captain doesn’t want to be told where he went wrong, he should already have an inkling. He needs quiet to think about how to reverse the trend and get back on top again.

International players don’t need coaching 24/7. A good player works things out; he needs to know what makes his game hum and what causes it to go off the rails.

A player who knows these traits can adjust during the contest. The best coaches are fellow players; a team-mate is batting against the same bowlers and may well have experienced similar problems. In general what goes awry is a player’s mind, not his technique.

Right from the start I was against a coach for the Australian side. “An international coach is something the Australian team uses to travel around the UK,” was my original comment.

One major concern was whether the coach would be advising in the best interests of the team or of him maintaining his large contract. There’s way too much decision making based on “job justification” since coaching roles have expanded.

One of the prime reasons given for a coach is; “the captain doesn’t have time to fulfill all the responsibilities.”

Fine, I don’t have a problem with a manager relieving some of the load from a captain.

However, a captain should never delegate any task that might help the team win (or lose). Once a captain understands all the W’s (wins) and all the L’s (losses) go against his name, he’s got a chance of being successful.

Coaches of top international sides can make little difference.

Lehmann has probably helped about as much as any coach because he’s shouldered some of the leadership (off-field) role where Michael Clarke was deficient.

As good as he’s been, Lehmann can’t help once the team is on the field.