If I look back on my captaincy journey I would say that I am proud of what I achieved but also make some changes with hindsight and experience on my side.
I was made vice-captain of Tasmania in the 92/93 season until 95/96. David Boon was captain and he was away the majority of the time so I was captain for 80-90% of the games. I had Greg Shipperd as coach and a very young team that included Jamie Cox, Dene Hills, Ricky Ponting, Michael Divenuto, Chris Matthews, Danny Buckingham,Mark Atkinson. Over the next few years Colin Miller, Shaun Young and Mark Ridgway became permanent members of the side also. In those days Bellerive was a pretty flat wicket that was hard work for the bowlers. Greg Shipperd and I devised a plan that we would bowl first the majority of times and then try and chase down a total to win the game. This plan got us into the shield final against NSW in 93/94. So I would say my greatest captaincy achievement was to be the first Tasmanian captain in a shield final. Unfortunately, we were beaten soundly.
Looking back I think my captaincy was a little defensive and I let the coach influence my decisions too much at times. Having said that I was inexperienced and learning my trade. At the time we were being more successful than Tasmanian teams of the past so it's hard to argue against our tactics.
I have watched Ben Stokes with interest and at times with admiration. Being his own man and following his instincts. It just shows how much a captain's attitude can influence a team. Would he be the same captain without Brendon McCullum ? Would another coach give him as much freedom. Captains and coaches need to work closely together but it’s the captain that should have the final say.
Captaining a team can be a difficult job but also a rewarding one. I think at times I took myself too seriously and forgot about the fun side of the game. I have seen others do the same thing. The greatest example of this was Ross Taylor from NZ. A great player and a really good bloke. When he took on the captaincy it changed him completely. Luckily I think for him he was not in the job very long and went back to being a very good player for a long time for NZ.
So for me, the most important thing I learned was to be your own man and follow your instincts as much as possible. Remember when making important behaviour and cultural decisions ask yourself “What does the game expect? It helped me a lot when playing and also now when umpiring.
Good Luck to all.