NEW DELHI: Star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah candidly stated that asking to be made captain of the team is beyond his “pay grade.” He highlighted that bowlers can prove to be effective leaders as they possess smart and resilient attributes.
This discussion comes amid the transition phase following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is, where Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were initially considered potential successors.
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Bumrah also found himself amidst conversations about the new captaincy though he never was the favorite for the post. Eventually, the captaincy mantle for the T20I team was handed to star batter Suryakumar Yadav instead of the favorite, Hardik Pandya.
Bumrah shared his thoughts on leadership and the role of bowlers ahead of the Sri Lanka series, which marks the first assignment for new head coach Gautam Gambhir.
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In his interview with the Indian Express Adda, Bumrah opened up about the intricacies of advocating for his own captaincy role.
“I cannot go to the team and tell, now you have to make me captain. It is above my pay grade. I feel the bowlers are the smart people, as we have to get the batters out. We are always fighting the odds as the grounds are shorter, the bats are better. I don’t remember any article or technology coming to swing the ball a lot more. People enjoy the ball being thrown around and enjoy sixes being hit,” Bumrah remarked.
Bumrah continued by elaborating on the unique challenges that bowlers face, asserting that their roles require them to be more innovative and resilient.
“Because bowlers are doing the hard job. They are not hiding behind a bat. They are not hiding behind a flat wicket. When you lose a game, bowlers are blamed. It is a hard job. I take a lot of pride in doing that job. You have to face a lot of challenges. Because of these challenges, bowlers find new ways to succeed. Fighting the odds makes you a lot braver, and leadership needs you to be brave,” he added.
Citing examples of prominent bowlers who have excelled as captains, Bumrah mentioned Australia’s Pat Cummins, who successfully led his team to the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship titles, as well as legendary bowlers such as Wasim Akram, Kapil Dev, and Imran Khan.
“We have seen Pat Cummins doing really well. I have seen Wasim Akram captaining. Kapil Dev and Imran Khan have won a World Cup. Bowlers are the smart ones. Sometimes, physically it is stressful, that’s why leadership goes to batters. In my opinion, bowlers are the smart ones,” he stated.
Bumrah further elaborated on changing perceptions through results, drawing parallels with his own non-traditional bowling action.
“Perception changes with results. I came from a perception that this bowling action will not work, but now people try to copy it. You don’t try to say things; you let your results talk. Pat Cummins is a big example. I got a lot of positive results. He won the World Cup and WTC. I do not think it is a burden. When you play cricket, you want responsibility,” Bumrah said.
