Cricket

Jasprit Bumrah's Captaincy Aspirations Draw Mixed Reactions from Former Pakistan CricketerIndian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah's recent comments about the potential for pace bowlers to excel as captains have sparked a debate within the cricketing community. While Bumrah believes that fast bowlers possess the necessary leadership qualities, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has expressed a different perspective.In an interview, Bumrah cited the successful captaincies of Kapil Dev and Imran Khan, who led India and Pakistan to World Cup victories, respectively. However, Ali argues that both Dev and Khan were appointed as captains only after they had established themselves as all-rounders, not just bowlers."About Jasprit Bumrah's statement, it's just like how Babar Azam likes captaincy. In my opinion, he should not chase captaincy. He is a top-class bowler and should be focusing just on that," Ali said in a video on his YouTube channel.Ali further clarified the distinction between a bowler and an all-rounder when it comes to leadership roles. "He gave the examples of Kapil Dev and Imran Khan's captaincy. However, they had become all-rounders, which is why they succeeded as captains. They were not appointed captains when they came into their teams as bowlers. This is the difference between a bowler and an all-rounder."While acknowledging the success of Australian pacer Pat Cummins as a captain, Ali pointed out that there are very few fast bowlers who have thrived in the role of a captain or coach."He also spoke about Pat Cummins. Yes, Cummins is a good captain, but there are very few fast bowlers who can become a good coach or captain. My best wishes to Jasprit Bumrah. There is a chance that he could be made the captain after the Champions Trophy," Ali added.Bumrah has previously led India as a stand-in captain during the one-off Test against England at Edgbaston in 2022 and also captained India to a 2-0 victory in a three-match T20I series against Ireland last year.

Australia's selectors are taking a cautious approach with promising pace bowlers Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson, prioritizing their long-term health and durability. Morris, who has faced recurring back stress fractures, is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is expected to return to action during the upcoming summer. Richardson, who has also been hampered by injuries, is fit and eager to prove his worth.National selector George Bailey emphasized the importance of setting up Morris and Richardson for success in the long run. "We wanted to set him up for success in the long term as opposed to pushing that too early then potentially risking what we think is something that could be really exciting across this summer and beyond," Bailey said about Morris.Richardson, who has not played for Australia since mid-2022, is also eager to regain his place in the national team. "He's fit and firing now, and again looking for match opportunities," Bailey said. "I think he'll get opportunities again across the summer."The durability of Australia's established pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins has limited opportunities for emerging bowlers. However, with Cummins set to miss the UK tour and Starc skipping the T20Is, Morris and Richardson could get valuable game time.Bailey acknowledged the need to manage the workloads of Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins, especially with the five-Test series against India looming later this year. "As far as the fast bowling group goes, think we've got a pretty exciting bunch there that we haven't had the opportunity to get a lot of games into across the formats predominantly because we've had a highly successful and robust senior group of fast bowlers," Bailey said.Other emerging quicks, such as Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Nathan Ellis, are also in contention for selection. Will Sutherland, who has also been plagued by back injuries, was not considered for the latest squads.