Have you ever captained your club team? If you have you know how it can seem like playing chess while running a marathon.

To keep yourself from going insane you need reliable bedrock principles to fall back on.

In club cricket these principles can be applied at any time to remind yourself why you are there in the first place:

1. To Win. Winning is far more preferable than a boring draw. As captain you are always looking for the best way to win the game, even if that means risking losing in the process. I would rather play close games every week that end with some losses than drawing every time. Where's the fun in that?
2. To Give Everyone a Game. Club captains have a duty to involve everyone in the game. If players don't feel they are getting a match they will soon do something else. A good captain starts involving players as soon as possible: Even before the game or season starts. Scorers, umpires and groundsmen are also not to be forgotten.

Stick with those secrets and you can build up your tactical awareness and man management skills around them. Ignore them and you won't be captain for long.

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