Jasprit Bumrah at Express Adda: Bowler gives Cummins, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev examples to shatter myth that bowlers can’t be good captains

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah at Express Adda on Thursday. has dropped a hint that if the opportunity comes, he is ready to take up the India captaincy.

“That is something that I don’t decide I cannot go to you know the team and say now you have to make me Captain. I don’t have that much power and it is above my paygrade,” Bumrah said.

Bumrah says he will always rate the bowlers because since they are always on the firing lines and with the game tilted more towards the batsmen.

“I feel the bowlers are the smart people because you know, they have to get the batsman out and we are obviously always fighting the odds because the grounds are shorter, the bats are better. I don’t remember any article or any technology coming that okay, we are helping the bowlers to swing the ball a lot more.

It is Bumrah’s story that best captures how Indian cricket democratised itself to become world-beaters.

“Obviously, the people enjoy the ball being thrown around and like to see sixes being hit. That’s okay. So I feel that because bowlers are fighting the odds and have to do the hard job and not hiding behind a bat. They’re not hiding behind a flat wicket. We’re right in the firing line,” he said.

“When we lose a game, it’s usually the bowlers that are being blamed. It’s a hard job. So I feel that, you know, I take a lot of pride in doing that job, it requires a lot of guts to also, you know, physically put a lot of strain on your body and you still enjoy the game and still create an impact. So you get Yes, you have to face a lot of challenges that come along with it.

“So I feel that because of all of these challenges, you always find new ways the bowlers find different ways of succeeding and fighting the odds.”

Citing the examples of World Cup-winning captains like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Pat Cummins, Bumrah says he feels the bowlers are more brave.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the dismissal of Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Westbury, New York, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP/PTI)

“I think leadership requires you to be brave. So I am also always of the opinion that we see whenever we’ve seen Pat Cummins doing really well. When I was young I have seen Wasim Akram being the captain. Kapil Dev has won the World Cup for India. Imran Khan has won a World Cup for Pakistan. So bowlers are the smart ones. It’s just that okay, sometimes physically, it’s stressful for them. So I can understand that sometimes leadership has gone to the batters but it is the way it is. And it depends on what the team feels is right and how they want to take the team forward. But in my opinion, I really think highly of bowlers, and that I am a fan till date of fast bowlers. So I’m of the opinion they are the smart ones.,” he said.

Bumrah also opened up about the perception that additional responsibility to a bowler might overburden them. He gave example of his own bowling when many thought his action will take him nowhere.

“See perception changes with results right so I came from a perception where this bowling will not work this bowling action will not work now people try and copy that. So perception changes with results. But you don’t try and purposely say things you try your results to talk and obviously see Pat Cummins is a big example right? A fast bowler who takes a lot of responsibility takes a lot of pride. He has won the ODI World Cup won the WTC final and got a lot of positive results for the team,” he said.

“So it depends on how you think what is your individuals perception? Me as a bowler I don’t think that you know, it’s a lot of burden because when you play cricket, you want responsibility. You don’t want to hide behind anyone and you don’t want to be the backbencher. And you know quietly do your work, you want to take the problem head on, and you want responsibility that you have to be of that mindset that give me the ball I will and I make a difference.

“Obviously it will not happen every day but you love responsibility want to make an impact. So I have I am of that opinion, that there is no better thing that you know, having responsibility and trying to make a change and try to make a change by taking Indian cricket forward. I don’t think of it as a burden and injuries is a thing that you know it can happen to anyone.

“A batsman can get hit on the head, he’s out of the game with a concussion. So then what do you do? So then you cannot be just labeling it? Yes, obviously fast bowling is a tough job. And I do understand that but it depends on how you are looking at it. If it’s a glass half full of it’s a glass half empty because I look at it.

“Most important thing in cricket is captaining how you bowl and how you set up fields because in the when the team is batting, you don’t have to captain everybody’s sitting inside and there are only two people outside you have to manage the field you have to manage bowling changes and you have to have empathy towards bowlers. Rohit is one of the few captains who has a lot of empathy towards bowlers being a batsman, but you know having empathy and how to use bowlers when you have to use bowlers. It’s a tough job and to understand the bowlers mindset, so I think, bowlers can make very good captains and they understand the sport and they understand what they have to do.”

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