The back injury to Australian captain Mark Taylor meant that he had to stand down from the Sri Lanka tour and wicket-keeper IAN HEALY, his long-standing vice-captain take over.
Flung into the team after a handful of games in 1988, Healy has worked single-mindedly to keep the position, becoming an accomplished all-rounder with Test centuries in 1993.
His reputation as a world class wicket-keeper/batsman is a fitting reward for his thoroughness and total dedication.
Noted for his zealous appealing and acidic tongue, Healy has matured into a generous competitor who is at ease with his role and responsibilities.
At 32, and 79 Test appearances, he is well on his way to overhauling Rod Marsh's world record of 355 dismissals. His current tally stands at 275 (255 ct, 20st).
As Taylor's vice-captain, Healy has the experience and tactical ability to plot the downfall of batsmen, developing a great understanding with Shane Warne who, due to a hand surgery is not here.
When Healy leads Australia in the Singer World Series lung-opener against Zimbabwe at the Premadasa Stadium on Monday, he will become only the second Australian wicket-keeper to captain his country in international matches, Barry Jarman having done so in a solitary Test at Leeds against England in 1968.
The continuous failure of Mohammed Azharuddin as Indian captain and with his own personal batting form meant a change was imminent at the top. Although he had been given the assurance to carry on till end of September, the Indian cricket selectors could wait no longer. There was pressure from all quarters following the England tour where India lost the Test and one-day series.
The selectors didn't have to look further than Azhar's young vice-captain, the 23-year-old SACHIN TENDULKAR who has been installed as heir to the thrown since being first appointed as Azhar's vice-captain in 1993.
The turning point of Azhar's captaincy career was at Calcutta on the afternoon of March 13 when he inserted Sri Lanka to bat first in the World Cup semi-final on an untrustworthy pitch, and lost.
From that point onwards things have never gone right for Azhar and now the fate of the Indian team has fallen on the shoulders of Tendulkar.
The youngster cut his teeth at the age of 16 years, 205 days being the third youngest Test player when he made his debut against Pakistan in 1989-90. What is so unique about Tendulkar is his maturity which is beyond his years. When he was handed the reins at the age of 23, he became only the second youngest to captain India after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.
Captaincy is not something Tendulkar pursued. He was quite content to let it come to him. But it is also not something new to him because as Azhar's deputy he has also been setting fields and ringing in bowling changes, and getting hands-on expensive without actually being accountable.
Now that he is in the hot seat Tendulkar is accountable for success as well as failures of his team. The emotional response of his countrymen is something which Azhar wrestled with for six years. Now it is the turn of Tendulkar.
It almost seems like yesterday when he was the wonderkid. But now he is the man Indian cricket is looking up to guide its destinies. The transformation is striking.
Zimbabwe's ALISTAIR CAMPBELL would have least expected to be installed as the nation's cricket captain at such short notice. The 23-year-old left-hander was pushed into the hot seat by circumstances.
Andy Flower, who led Zimbabwe in 12 of their 16 Tests suddenly found the burden of batting in the top five, keeping wickets and carrying on the responsibilities as captain a little too much. When he stepped down, the Zimbabwe Cricket Union appointed their first Test captain, the experienced David Houghton. But Houghton who is involved with coaching English county Worcestershire pulled out, and Zimbabwe had no option but to appoint Campbell.
Campbell's task is a tough one, compared to Healy and Tendulkar. He leads a side which does not have the experience and maturity at the highest level. Since achieving Test status in 1992, Zimbabwe have played only 16 Tests - a figure which some established Test nations play in a year.
Campbell has always been compared to former England captain David Gower in his batting. He is a gifted stroke-maker who like Gower, can enchant and frustrate in equal measures.
Having successfully made his way into the senior side while still a schoolboy, and hit a century in only his third game, Campbell is challenging Andy Flower as the country's leading Test run scorer, although he has yet to score a century at that level.
Campbell certainly has the talent to do so. But with the added responsibilities of captaincy entrusted upon him, there always the danger of dropping his batting form. It has happened to many captains before. The tour of Sri Lanka where Zimbabwe will also play two Tests, will certainly be a test of strength for him.