"South Africa have got a gem in someone like Keshav Maharaj" - Dale Steyn highlights how bowlers make for strong captains
Former South African pacer Dale Steyn believes bowlers make excellent captains and cited the example of Keshav Maharaj as an example. Maharaj recently led the Durban Super Giants (DSG) to seven wins out of the ten group-stage matches in the SA20 2024.
The Super Giants went on to qualify for the final, where they lost by 89 runs to SunRisers Eastern Cape. Maharaj was exceptional on the field and led the team from the front.
When asked about bowlers donning the captaincy hat in an interview with TOI, Steyn said:
"South Africa have got a gem in someone like Keshav Maharaj. He is captaining Durban Supergiants at the moment and he is doing a wonderful job there. Yes, bowlers can make good captains."
Maharaj has also captained South Africa in white-ball cricket 12 times and boasts an excellent record, especially in T20Is. Under the 34-year-old, the Proteas have never lost a T20I game, winning four of their five outings with one No Result.
However, Maharaj's record isn't as praiseworthy in the 50-over format, with South Africa winning two and losing three in his seven games as skipper.
"Bowlers are very good thinkers of the game" - Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn feels bowlers being terrific thinkers with the ability to read players makes them a more than viable option as captains.
Several legendary bowlers/bowling all-rounders have led their sides successfully over the years, including Kapil Dev, Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, and Anil Kumble, among others.
"They (bowlers) are very good. I never captained South Africa. Fast bowlers are very good thinkers. Bowlers are very good thinkers of the game. They read the players very well. It is a tougher one (in terms of captaincy). You should be able to manage your workload, injuries as well as when to bowl and when not to bowl," said Steyn.
The legendary South African pacer also pointed to the success of current Aussie skipper Pat Cummins.
"Pat Cummins has found this really good. If you look at his record in the last two years of captaining, he has won everything, he has taken five-wicket hauls, he is scoring runs, and he is making the right calls. It depends on the individuals but at the end of the day, it boils down to workload and injury. Fast bowlers are more injury-prone than the potential batters who captain the side," stated Steyn.
Since becoming captain of the Australian Test and ODI sides, Cummins has demonstrated the ability to lead them to several monumental wins while performing well with the ball and even with the bat.
Under the 30-year-old, the Aussies were champions of the World Test Championship (WTC) and the ODI World Cup, defeating India in the final last year.