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Communication is the crux of all successful partnerships. Having hidden agendas or withholding information is a sure partnership-spoiler
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Being an all-rounder in the multiple formats of cricket I’ve played over my career, I’ve found myself in partnerships of two kinds—batting and bowling. A batting partnership is more overt and heroic in its construct, where it is two against the entire opposition, out there by themselves, while their team watches from a distance. In most instances, the result is governed by both participants of the partnership. Bowling partnerships are more subtle where it isn’t really evident to the viewer all the time that the two bowlers from the opposite ends are actually working in tandem to a mutually aligned strategy and a common objective. A bowler still controls a lot of variables in that moment. It is also perceived as more competitive since each bowler is independently (seemingly so) aiming to maximize his wicket-taking. However, the success of both partnerships depends on a deep level of understanding, information sharing and mutual respect.
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Albeit clichéd, communication is the crux of all successful partnerships. This has several layers to it, though. The first is giving and taking advice. Both partners have to quickly pick up cues from the situation, pitch and opponent and share constructive advice with the other. Bowling partnerships work largely based on how critical information is shared between the two bowlers, based on their observations from their respective ends. Having hidden agendas or withholding information is a sure partnership-spoiler.
Cultural differences abound in cricket. Within India, we speak innumerable languages and dialects; so if you’re playing for the national team, chances are there are at least a few teammates with whom you don’t share a common language. Formats like the Indian Premier League only add to the communication barrier where even signs and body language might not be consistent across nationalities. Despite that, partners find their own ways of developing a common language, sometimes even taking the effort to learn one.
Finally, roles must be clearly discussed and agreed upon mutually. Situations might demand changing roles among partners, and the changes must be explicitly spoken and agreed to mutual comfort.
Be flexible and adaptive
Planned partnerships are those where your traditional batting order is maintained in an innings and there are two people, familiar with each other’s styles and expectations over several matches, batting together. Time gives strength to partnerships. However, cricket is a dynamic game and there is a good chunk of unplanned, unprepared situational partnerships that emerge. A top-order batsman might be paired with a tailender at one stage of the match and they’d have very little experience of batting together historically. However, despite that, they’ll both have to adapt quickly to the emergent situation and work together as if they’ve always batted together. Only then will the partnership get to a meaningful score, even if not always a match-winning score.
Be willing to accede leadership
In batting partnerships, who acts as the leader of the pair may vary based on the situation. In a traditional batting order, chances are that the guy batting ahead has spent more time on the pitch and is also a more conventional batsman, capable of guiding the new entrant on conditions and strategy. However, in the occasional situation where a night watchman is prodded up the order and manages to get in and establish a long innings, he takes over as the natural leader in subsequent partnerships where potentially better and more experienced batsmen are just getting their eye in. Similarly, being close to important milestones might cramp a well-settled batsman’s style, and the partner needs to take leadership in that situation to take pressure off the other end. Depending on the position in the game, leadership switches hands in a partnership quite regularly and both partners must be willing to accept their roles in both modes.
Develop mutual respect
We all remember Anil Kumble’s famous 10-wicket haul in Kotla where we’ve heard and seen how Javagal Srinath bowled the suspense-ridden over before Kumble finally got his 10th wicket. That to me was a fine example of mutual respect in a bowling partnership. Mutual respect has elements of trust and sacrifice, all of which truly comes from understanding the partner’s aspirations and ambitions on the field. It entails watching out for your partner, like a spotter, from the non-striker’s end. It entails not competing with one another at the cost of the team’s goals, and complementing and supplementing the other’s skills. Performance is only enhanced by a good partner, nothing can take away from your skills or ability.
Have a good personal equation
This is sometimes a matter of luck, but some great partnerships are also a function of a fantastic personal equation with the partner. A classic example of that is Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who have a great relationship off the field and have some epic partnerships in cricket. Closer home, I’ve certainly enjoyed some of my partnerships with those close to me, be it my brother Yusuf in memorable innings like the 60-run run chase against Sri Lanka or with my close friend Rakesh Solanki in domestic cricket. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed the different dynamics in both batting and bowling partnerships. However, some of these principles have remained absolutely essential to the successes in both, and also offer relevant parallels with partnerships in business and in corporate teams.
©All Rights Reserved TENVIC 2015
Irfan Pathan is an Indian cricketer and the founder of Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP).
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