Mischievous, violent, fiery. Adjectives you usually think of as unpleasant when you type the words ‘fast’ and ‘bowler’ next to each other. Some even label them as ‘idiots’, or people with a short fuse. When it comes to the captain, the tribe is always ignored, and it is usually preferred to do the job because they are perceived as calmer, more intelligent.
A more logical explanation about why fast bowlers usually do not become captains, they have become more at the physical plate. Adding the responsibility of pitch placement, bowler rotation, roller selection, addressing the media before or after a win or loss etc, becomes an unnecessary distraction.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins, the Test captains of India and Australia, have bucked the trend. They do not abuse or sledge batters while bowling. He also gives off a cerebral impression and looks forward to leadership challenges.
“I love the responsibility, I wanted to do difficult tasks since childhood,” Bumrah, who was also leading India in the Test at Edgbaston against England when captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid-19, said while addressing the media. “You always want to be bold, you want to be thrown into difficult scenarios, and this is one that adds a new challenge to me.”
Cummins took over from Tim Paine after the sexting scandal in the 2021-2022 Ashes series and is more experienced, having led Australia in 28 Tests.
Noted to be only the third time two fast bowlers have captained their country after Wasim Akram (Pakistan) and Courtney Walsh (West Indies) did it in 1997 and Cummins and Tim Southee (NZ) did it last summer, Cummins said, “I don’t think it’s changed too much, but it’s one of those rare things. Looking forward to seeing, hopefully from the dressing room, how he (Bumrah) is doing. But as a fast bowling fan, it’s good to see,” he added and said that he needed 10 Tests to find his footing as pacer and captain.
Bumrah reciprocated Cummins’ feelings. “I am obviously a fan of bowling and fast bowling, so I chose to be a bowler,” said Bumrah. “I feel that the physicality is much more draining for the bowl, but tactically the bowlers are quite smart as well. There are many examples in the past, in Australia and India. We have Kapil Dev. Pat has done a phenomenal job, and that. get a lot of success for Australia I hope -hopefully, this is the start of a new tradition and many other players will follow,” he said.
Bumrah carried the torch more brightly for his tribe and said the bowler as captain could succeed because he was more meticulous with his plans. “Bowlers do more research and more data than batters.”
When asked about his lack of experience in the project, Bumrah replied, “No one is born with experience.
Having played under successful captains like MS Dhoni (whiteball cricket), Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Bumrah feels no need to have a set template or follow his predecessors.
Don’t think of captaincy as a position but a responsibility: Jasprit Bumrah
“You have to find your own way and you can’t copy anybody blindly. Virat and Rohit have been successful and got results, but my way is not following a copy book plan. Even when I bowl, I go by instinct. and that’s how I always play cricket,” Bumrah emphasized.
Allaying his fears about overbowling himself as he led an inexperienced attack, Bumrah said, “I see it differently. I can manage myself the best when I’m captain. I know when I’m fresh and I know when I have to push myself, and I know when I have to take extra responsibility.”
Cummins, who has a group of more senior leaders around him, felt, “The question is always just are you bowling too much or not enough? It’s a gut feeling. Talk to some people out there and come up with a decision.”
