‘Bowlers are the smart ones’ – Bumrah on why bowlers make better leaders
Bumrah shared his perspective, emphasizing that bowlers are “the smart ones” due to the challenging nature of their role on the field.
“Bowlers have to do the hard job—they’re not hiding behind a bat or a flat wicket. We’re right in the firing line, and when a game is lost, it’s often the bowlers who are blamed. So it’s a tough job,” Bumrah explained. He went on to highlight the success of legendary bowler-captains like Kapil Dev and Imran Khan, who led their teams to World Cup victories, adding, “We’ve seen Pat Cummins doing really well, and growing up, I watched Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as captains. Bowlers are the smart ones.”
Having captained the Indian team in both Test matches and T20Is, Bumrah also addressed the perception that batters receive more recognition, but within the Indian camp, there is no distinction between batters and bowlers. “Our country loves big batsmen, and that’s fair, but for me, bowlers drive the game,” he said. Bumrah underscored his passion for Test cricket, calling it the greatest format and expressing his belief that performing well in Tests ensures success in other formats as well.
Reflecting on his experiences under various captains, Bumrah praised the unique qualities of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni. He noted Rohit’s empathy towards bowlers despite being a batter, Dhoni’s instinctive leadership, and Kohli’s passion and energy that have pushed the team to new levels of fitness and performance.
“Rohit understands players’ emotions and is open to feedback, which is crucial. MS Dhoni gave me a lot of security early on, trusting his instincts rather than over-planning. Virat is driven by passion and has been a leader in changing the fitness narrative for the team,” Bumrah remarked, adding that even though Kohli is no longer the captain, he remains a leader within the team.
For Bumrah, leadership in cricket is not confined to a title—it’s about the collective effort of the entire team, driven by a shared vision and understanding of the game.
