Who should become a captain? Does it need special requirements apart cricket intelligence, a vision for future, and ability to inspire teammates as a leader? Axar Patel, India’s spin allrounder and skipper of Delhi Capitals, the IPL franchise co-owned by JSW Sports, weighs in on the perceptions around traits needed to be a good captain.
In an interaction with The Indian Express, ahead of first Test against South Africa, Axar brought up the notions about a player’s perceived personality that is not based about his cricketing skills but vague “personality” traits and “English” speaking abilities.
“People start saying ‘oh he is not a captaincy material, he doesn’t speak English. How will he talk? Yeh hai, voh hai’. Arre! Captain’s work is not to just talk. Captain’s work is to know the player and see how to get the best out of him. What’s his strength, what’s his weakness. Captain knows that I have this player and what I need to do to get work out of him (“kaisey kaam nikalwaana hai”). And in game situations, who to give the ball now.
Axar Patel in action for Delhi Capitals. (FILE photo)
“But yeah if we say ‘personality’ chahiye, acha English bolna chahiye – that’s a perception made by the public based on their own thinking. I captained Delhi Capitals this year and got a lot of praise. I think more of this happens, more will change in the coming time.
It’s important that people have to change their personal thinking. Stop thinking ‘oh his personality is good, he can speak English – so he is captain material’. One thing about captaincy is there should be no language barrier.”
Axar sees it as a byproduct of what the people see based on what media shows and how people form opinions based on social media.
“It’s all about what you see and what the media is showing. How active you are on social media. How you talk. People judge you on all that. Everyone likes to give opinions these days. He is capable, he is not capable, take him, don’t take him, make him captain etc.”
Story continues below this ad
Axar captained Delhi Capitals last season and back then had spoken in a press conference about how he went about his captaincy approach.
Delhi capitals skipper Axar Patel. (FILE photo)
“I think it shows on my face. Is the captain angry right now, is he a bit serious…,” he joked. “It’s a thin line. I want to keep the team environment friendly and lively, but no one should take things for granted. No one should think that the captain is only having fun. There is a line. What needs to be done to win the game needs to be done first. Then we should have fun. It’s working at the moment. I believe that if you’re having fun, you do better.
“I am having a lot of fun on the field and off the field. I am doing what I think is right. I am not following a template. I back myself. I am not too experienced [as a captain] but it’s not like I am turning to other people for help. Of course, I listen to everyone, but I back myself for the decisions I am making. Because you need to know what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. ”
