NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Axar Patel has opened up on a lesser-discussed bias in Indian cricket — the perception that a captain’s leadership ability is tied to his fluency in English or public image. Ahead of India’s first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Patel said that being articulate in English is not what defines a good leader; instead, it’s the ability to understand players and bring out their best.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Patel, who led Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2025 after Rishabh Pant‘s departure, said people often underestimate cricketers based on how they communicate. “People start saying, ‘Oh, he’s not captaincy material, he doesn’t speak English. How will he talk?’ 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,” Axar told The Indian Express.
He argued that fans and commentators have created a flawed notion of what makes a good captain. “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 if more of this happens, more will change in the coming time,” he said.
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Axar added that public judgment today is often shaped by appearances, media portrayal, and social media presence. “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’s capable, he’s not capable, make him captain, don’t make him captain,” he remarked.The 31-year-old said those within the game know how to value cricketers for their skill, not style. “People in cricket know what’s the value of a player. At the end of the day, that’s what matters – what the people around you think. So yeah, just do your job,” he said.Axar is expected to feature in India’s two-Test series against South Africa, starting November 14 in Kolkata — his first red-ball appearance since February 2024.
