Cricket flashback: Fast bowling captains - the rockstars of Test cricket

Arguably, there is no better sight in cricket than a fast bowler in full flow in his run-up, running into bowl, hitting the straps, with the crowd behind him, cheering in anticipation, the pace increasing as he nears the bowling crease, the final jump, the landing with the thighs, shins and ankles taking the weight of the body, the twisting of the shoulders, the forearms and the wrists coming into play before the final release of the ball at great speed. All this takes a toll on the body of course and if the pacer is overworked, careless or unfit, it can lead to injuries and a potential exit from the team. Perhaps this is one reason fast bowlers are not 'burdened' with captaincy.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown", is a famous line from a play by William Shakespeare. On the field, fast bowlers are usually stationed at third man or fine leg so that they can get a breather between overs and get time to think about their next over or spell. It is not very common to see a pacer placed at mid-off or mid-on.

That happens sometimes when a rookie is bowling his heart out and as the leader of the pack, the senior pro is guiding him on what to bowl while the bowler is on his way back to his run-up. But what is really rare is to see fast bowlers as captains. It is a common school of thought that a fast bowler won't be able to guide his team or the other bowlers well if he himself is having a torrid time with the ball or is being hit for runs.

Another thing that fast bowling captains need to be wary of, especially in Test cricket, is criticism that they are either under or over bowling themselves. But over the decades Test cricket has had fast bowling captains across teams. With Jasprit Bumrah becoming the first pacer after