NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Axar Patel has opened up about a less discussed bias in Indian cricket – the notion that a captain’s leadership skills are linked to his fluency in English or public image. Ahead of India’s first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens, Patel said being eloquent in English is not what defines a good leader; instead, it’s the ability to understand the players and bring out the best.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Patel, who led Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2025 after Rishabh Pant’s exit, said people often underestimate cricketers based on how they communicate. “People start saying, ‘Oh, he’s not captain material, he doesn’t speak English. How is he going to speak?’ Arr! A captain’s job is not just to talk. The captain’s job is to get to know the player and find out how to get the best out of him – what is his strength, what is his weakness,” Axar told The Indian Express.
Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel and others fly to Australia from Delhi
He argued that fans and commentators have created a misconception about what makes a good captain. “If we say ‘personality chahiye, acha English bolna chahiye’ – that is public perception based on own thinking. I was the captain of Delhi Capitals this year and I got a lot of praise. I think if more happens, more will change in the coming time,” he said.
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Axar added that public judgment today is often shaped by appearance, media portrayal and social media presence. “It’s all about what you see and what the media shows. How active you are on social media, how you speak – people judge you for all that. Everyone likes to express opinions these days – he’s capable, he’s not capable, make him captain, don’t make him captain,” he noted.The 31-year-old said players in the game know how to appreciate cricketers for their skill, not style. “People in cricket know the value of a player. At the end of the day, that’s what matters – what people around you think. So yes, do your job,” he said.Axar is expected to feature in India’s two-Test series against South Africa starting on November 14 in Kolkata – his first red-ball appearance since February 2024.
