If Mohammad Kaif,with his awkward stance and the jerky backlift is chalk,Wasim Jaffers languid grace at the crease fame is cheese. But when the two batsmen lead their Ranji teams,they are like twins separated at birth. With Mumbai meeting Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy final at Hyderabad next week,the two skippers will cross swords and the similarity in their approach to leadership will be hard to miss. For Jaffer,this is his first season as captain but chances are that Mumbai wont be touching the leadership issue for some time now. The same is true for Kaif,who is leading UP for the fourth straight season. Regardless of the situation,the two captains rarely raise their voice in the dressing room. On the field,they both stay poker faced and feel that being too animated is not the best way to convey messages to their team mates. And,most importantly,they both enjoy unconditional respect from not just overawed juniors but even seen-it-all seniors. UPs 19-year-old opener Tanmay Srivastava calls Kaif his best motivator. He always treats me,or any other junior,as an important member of the side. We were involved in couple of big partnerships this season and it was a pleasure to bat with him, he says. Easing the pressure Giving an example about how Kaifs quips lighten up pressure during a tense situation,he recalls an incident from a game earlier this season. I had hit a stroke that went to the fence. He came up to me and said,Kya shot hai. Aaj to sham ko chai pilana padega. Such comments dont just relax you but even give a lot of confidence, says Srivastava. Like Srivastava,Mumbai opener Ajinkya Rahane has been involved in a couple of big partnerships with captain Jaffer. And Rahane has a similar anecdote ready. He knows how to get the best out of a player. Even if someone drops a catch,he doesnt make a scene on the field, he says. Once when Rahane returned to the dressing room after a big hundred,Jaffer with his half-smile told him Bradman jaisa khelta hai. Rahanes face never had a broader smile. Even players with international experience in the UP and Mumbai sides rave about their skippers. Rohit Sharma has brushed shoulders with the best in the business in his short career but Jaffer is special to him. There is no doubt that he is a good captain but he is also a great person. The best part about him is he is very relaxed and behaves like any other member of the team. He motivates and jokes around at the same time, he says. What Jaffer is to Sharma,Kaif is to UPs pace spearhead Praveen Kumar. I made my debut with Kaif at the helm. He saw the potential in me and gave me the new ball ahead of other seniors in the side. When one knows that the captain trusts you,there is no problem in giving 200 per cent on the field, he says. Interestingly,both Jaffer and Kaif are in the same boat when it comes to their international careers. Once regulars in Team India,both are trying to make a comeback. But it hasnt made either of them compromise on his leadership role.
