Harsh Mankad, who has had a tumultuous relationship with India’s Davis Cup skipper, serves for Leander.
Harsh Mankad, who has had a tumultuous relationship with India’s Davis Cup skipper, serves for LeanderNEW DELHI: At a time when Leander Paes’ captaincy is under fire, he is getting support from a most unexpected quarter. Harsh Mankad had a tumultuous relationship with Paes ever since he took over as captain from the Davis Cup tie against New Zealand in February 2004.
Mankad played three ties under Paes. More crucially he sat out two (Japan, April ‘04, Sweden, Sept ‘05) and was used for the reverse match only in one (Uzbekistan, May ‘05) even though he was the top-ranked Indian at the time.
“Looking back I don’t think I hold it against him. I feel I had opportunities and the choice was made on the basis of the court we were playing on and team strategy,” says Mankad.
The 28-year-old who is now making a comeback after a long injury layoff does not feel that Paes takes decisions all alone. “I did not feel he took decisions to put others down. In my case he had always taken the senior players and the management into confidence before making his final decision,” says the veteran of ten ties.
Mankad goes on to assert that in his book Paes is still a contender for singles when playing at home on a low-bouncing watered down grass court with uneven bounce.
“This court is tailor-made for him and he can take on anybody in the world here as long as he is physically fit. It’s a difficult ask to keep passing him for five sets given the athlete that he is. The decision to play the fifth match in the past probably stems from the fact that he feels so confident in his abilities on this court.”
The one bit about Paes that irks Mankad is the captain’s belief that he is still India’s only bet when it gets sticky. “I don’t agree with the statement that he was the only one capable of beating Aqeel Khan (in the fifth rubber against Pakistan in Mumbai, April ‘06). There are a lot of Indian players who could have done the same.”
Giving his views on the issue of the captain continuously communicating with the players and staying in touch Mankad says, “In my playing experience traditionally in India the role of the captain has always been confined to the week of the tie. A full-time position is something for the AITA to look into. Because the position is not structured that way you can’t really hold it against Leander.”
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