Umar Gul, who recently served as Pakistan’s interim bowling coach for Afghanistan and New Zealand series, shared his observations and commended skipper Babar Azam’s dominance and relentless pursuit of success for the Men in Green.
In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Gul stated that Babar’s authority as a captain was evident through his exceptional performance in the recently-concluded New Zealand series.
He also emphasized that a dominant captain leads with authority, and when the team’s performance is great, it further solidifies their position. As Babar continues to lead the team, Gul believes he should maintain this dominance, as it holds him accountable for the team’s success.
“I have observed Babar Azam closely during the New Zealand series, and one thing is clear that he is a dominant force, relentlessly striving for the success of his team. When we looked at his performance against the Blackcaps as the skipper, it’s evident that he leads with authority,” Gul said.
“As a captain, if you are dominating and your team’s performance is exceptional, there is no doubt that you can consider yourself a dominant captain. If Babar is leading the team, he should maintain that dominance. Entrusting him with the fifteen-member squad or the playing XI makes him accountable, and he should indeed be dominant because a leader’s duty is to lead from the front and perform for the team, how you take the required performance’s from the players and how you will look after them on and off the field,” he added.
While Gul acknowledged Babar’s current dominance, he also mentioned that there is always room for improvement. He highlighted that becoming a good captain is a learning process and every player has to go through it.
“I think it’s a good sign that he should dominate, but still he needs to improve few things, because there is no such player who joins the team and turns out to be a good captain immediately. There is always a learning process and every player has to go through that. Right now, I think Babar Azam has total control over the team,” he concluded.
