Indian all-rounder Axar Patel has strongly criticised the perception that speaking English is necessary to captain a cricket team. He argues that leadership should be judged by a captain's ability to understand players, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and make smart decisions during matches. Axar led Delhi Capitals in the 2025 IPL season, where the team finished fifth and narrowly missed the playoffs. Despite this near-miss, he received praise for his captaincy. The Gujarat cricketer believes public attitudes must change, moving away from judging leaders based on language skills or personality traits linked to English fluency. Axar was previously named vice-captain of India's T20I team but was later removed before the 2025 Asia Cup. He currently represents India across all three formats and has been selected for the upcoming Test series against South Africa, where he will compete with other spinners for a place in the playing eleven.
Language Should Not Define Leadership Qualities
Axar Patel firmly believes that captaincy should not be restricted by language barriers. He told Indian Express that the public wrongly assumes English-speaking ability and personality are prerequisites for leadership. According to him, a captain's real job is understanding each player's capabilities and knowing how to extract the best performance from them. He emphasised that match situations demand tactical thinking, such as deciding which bowler to use, rather than eloquent communication. Axar pointed out that after leading Delhi Capitals this year, he received significant praise, proving that effective leadership transcends language. He hopes more such examples will gradually shift public opinion and eliminate the misconception that English proficiency equals captaincy material. The cricketer stressed that people must change their personal thinking patterns about leadership qualities.
Source: Link