Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has advocated for Jasprit Bumrah’s appointment as the new captain of the Indian Test team after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the traditional format of the game.
Earlier this month, Rohit decided to step aside from Tests, forcing the BCCI selection committee to name a new skipper for the upcoming tour of England.
Bumrah was Rohit’s deputy in the last Test series against Australia, and he also captained the side in two matches, but multiple reports claim that Shubman Gill is the front-runner to become India’s new Test captain.
However, Sidhu has opposed the speculated captaincy move, arguing that Bumrah will be the right choice considering his brilliant performances overseas.
"Tough conditions, right? Without a captain, without a strong leader, those transitions are impossible. Who is that person who will say, I am standing in front of the line; I will lead by example? Who is that person who will instill faith in those who follow him? Who is that person who will have acceptance? Remember, Hardik Pandya came to Mumbai last time. The acceptance was not there. What happened to the team? This time, there is acceptance," said Sidhu on his YouTube channel.
"See, how the team is playing together. So, who will they believe that, yes, this is the person who can lead us? I think it is Bumrah. And why do I talk about him? Because all the performances have come in foreign countries. Now I hear a lot of things that don't get injured. The heaviest burden in life is the things that might happen but don't," he added.
Sidhu was all praise for Gill as a batter and suggested that the classy right-hander should either open the batting or play at No.3. He also opined that KL Rahul should replace the recently-retired star Virat Kohli at No. 4.
"I am all for Gill. But Gill the batsman. If you make him a captain in Test cricket, then make him open or play him at No.3. Then don't put a protective shield on him. Then you will have to give the signal that he is our captain. We are investing in him for a year. And Gill opens. Then don't say that we will make him play instead of Kohli. You can't do that. Because that's a wrong signal," Sidhu stated.
"Because a strong man doesn't need a protective shield. Whether you play Sarfaraz there. Last time you took Sarfaraz on tour. I will play Shreyas Iyer. You don't want to keep Shreyas Iyer in reckoning. Bring Karun Nair. My goal is to make KL Rahul play on no. 4," he further remarked.
