Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam seems to be taking cues from former West Indies cricketer and Zalmi coach Daren Sammy as he leads his team in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9. In the post-match press conference, Sammy emphasized the importance of synchronicity between captain and coach during matches.
Reflecting on his own leadership style, Sammy emphasized the need for constant communication between captain and coach, drawing parallels with other sports such as American football and basketball, where coaches play an active role during games. “When I was captain, my strategy was that every five overs I would just run off the field and make sure what I was doing out there was in line with what the coach was thinking.
We seem to forget that in every sport NFL, NBA you watch American football the coach and the captain have a very good relationship even when the match is going on you watch the NBA big star LeBron James but the coaches call the game so why is it in cricket you have to leave the captain alone?I don’t believe that.
Even though I was as successful a captain as I was, it was never me,” Sammy said. Sammy also stressed the importance of trusting one’s gut feeling and maintaining synergy between captain and coach. “I like to make sure that whatever I do there is in line with what the coach says because he sees the game from a different angle, so again I would always influence my knowledge to the captain,” he added.
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Sammy expressed his admiration for Babar Azam, appreciated his leadership qualities, and acknowledged the trust they share. He credited their partnership for improving Zalmi’s performance compared to previous seasons. “The beautiful thing about Babar is that he’s a wonderful human being.
Despite all the success he’s had, he trusts my leadership as much as I trust him and it’s been a really good partnership for Peshawar Zalmi. We’ve improved from last year. So “I don’t think I think there’s something written there,” Sammy said. While Sammy emphasized the importance of collaboration between captain and coach, he also emphasized the autonomy of the captain to make decisions based on their instincts and understanding of the game.
“If the first thing I told Babar when he came here was that as a leader you must always be able to trust your gut. There were times when I could send a message, his job is to listen, understand, and see.” how best it could affect the game, whether he takes it or not, I’m fine with whatever decision he makes there. I still believe that the captain and coach must have some synergy between them,” he concluded.
