India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah explained why fast bowlers make great captains while citing the example of former Pakistan captain Imran Khan who led the Green Shirts to World Cup glory.
Bumrah, 30, recently guided India to T20 World Cup 2024 win and was named the Player of the Tournament due to his heroics with the ball.
Talking to The Indian Express, Bumrah explained fast bowlers are very “smart” as they have to get the batter out.
"I feel bowlers are smart people because they have to get the batsmen out," Bumrah said.
"Bowlers have to do the hard job and are not hiding behind a bat, they’re not hiding behind a flat wicket. We’re right in the firing line. When we lose a game, it’s usually the bowlers who are blamed. So it’s a hard job.
"We’ve seen Pat Cummins doing really well. When I was a child, I’d seen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as captains. Kapil Dev has won us a World Cup. Imran Khan has won a World Cup for Pakistan. So, bowlers are the smart ones."
He also mentioned different captains he has played under and explained the different qualities Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni have.
"Rohit [Sharma] is one of the few captains who has empathy towards bowlers, despite being a batter,” the pacer added.
"He understands players’ emotions, and knows what a player is going through. Rohit is not rigid, he is open to feedback. MS [Dhoni] gave me a lot of security, quickly. He has a lot of faith in his instinct, and doesn’t believe in a lot of planning.
"Virat [Kohli] is energy-driven, passionate, wears his heart on his sleeve. He pushed us in terms of fitness, and changed the narrative that way. Now Virat is not the captain, but he is still a leader. Captaincy is a post, but a team is run by 11 people."
- Imran Khan
- Jasprit Bumrah
