The Winning Way 2.0Learnings from Sport for Managers

by Anita Bhogle

In their best years as a team, Pakistan were led by Imran Khan, who demanded a very high standard of team ethic. The story goes that in one of their always highly charged games against India at Sharjah, a batsman was sent out with clear instructions to go for it in the last two overs. Not having done too well in the earlier games the player was probably a bit insecure and opted to return not out rather than go with the riskier alternative of attacking and, maybe, getting out. As the players returned to the pavilion for lunch, Imran came down the steps towards the boundary rope and told the batsman loudly enough for everyone to hear, ‘You will never play for Pakistan again.’ The message was sent out as much to the player as to the rest of the team and indeed, to the opposition who were in