Bangalore: Captaincy in hockey may no longer hinge on seniority alone. It will depend on contemporary virtues which combine to make a good leader, including communication skills, practical wisdom and the ability to think on one’s feet.

India’s experiments with captains, with criteria ranging from seniority to absolute poise on the field, haven’t helped much with Prabodh Tirkey, the midfielder who led the country in its disastrous Olympic qualifier earlier this year, drawing flak for his not-so-evident leadership qualities.

Obviously, captaincy these days is as much about charisma as it is about tactical acumen, a truth not entirely lost on coach in-charge Harendra Singh. “I am in no hurry to choose the captain,” declared Harendra on the opening day of the men’s camp at the SAI, South Centre here. “Every player here will be told that he is the potential captain of the team. His behaviour on and off the field, leadership qualities, understanding of the game and the ability to think his way out of difficult situations will be the qualities I will be looking for.”

One of the main attributes that Harendra will monitor is a player’s communication skills. In the next few days, he will identify potential leaders among defenders, midfielders and frontliners and assign roles to them on the pitch.

“They will be responsible for the efficiency of their zone. They will also be asked to communicate with the other zones so that the team plays as a well-knit unit. Later, in team meetings, these leaders will discuss their ploys, strategies, scores and misses with the coaches before we embark on a bigger meeting with the other probables.”

Harendra is not loath to the idea of trying out a few players as captains in the preparatory tournaments for the 2010 World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. “Multiple captains in smaller exposure tournaments will help me decide who the ideal candidate will be. Both the World Cup and Commonwealth Games are big tests ahead of us.”

Like his predecessors, Harendra laid emphasis on fitness and discipline. “The first week here will be devoted to tests in physiology and bio-mechanics. The test results will determine a player’s fitness regimen and practice and game routine,” he said. “The players will be responsible for their fitness during camp breaks. Any drop in fitness levels will mean the player will not be eligible for selection. He will, of course, have to work out in a parallel camp on his fitness.”

Harendra also has plans to invite senior umpires for educative sessions during the camp. “Most of the fouls occur because of ignorance. From now on, umpires will be part of every camp, talking to the players about the rules.”

CAMP NOTES:

1. 39 players reported on the first day. Arjun Halappa, who got married on Sunday, and Bimal Lakra, whose wife is down with dengue, have not reported. Ignace Tirkey, SV Sunil and Kaalu Ram are playing in the inter-Services tournament while Senthil and Sreejesh will join the camp soon.

2. Players resolve not to use mobile phones during practice sessions. All mobiles to be switched off after 10pm.

3. Junior players will not be included in the senior camp until the Junior World Cup in June 2009.