Josh Hazlewood Opines On The Batsman vs Bowler Captaincy Discussion

Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood has chipped in on former Australian opener Mark Waugh’s comments on batsmen vs bowler captaincy debate. Josh Hazlewood will have a vital role to play in the upcoming summer of cricket against India, featuring six limited-overs games and four Tests. He agrees with Mark Taylor’s viewpoint that batsmen have the edge over bowlers when it comes to captaincy.

With Pat Cummins’ appointment as the only deputy to Test captain Tim Paine, Mark Taylor commented that the speedster might not be the automatic choice for the next skipper. Taylor backed left-handed batsman Travis Head to become the next leader, given he has experience in leading South Australia too. Taylor added that Head needs to have an excellent summer of cricket, cementing himself as the first-choice pick in the Test team.

Josh Hazlewood understands Mark Taylor’s point of view that a bowler might not think too clearly or have enough tactics after they have delivered 20 overs. The New South Wales paceman added that sometimes all a bowler wants to do is field at a position like fine leg and relax for a bit.

“I see where (Taylor) is coming from in that sometimes you bowl 20 overs and you might not be thinking too clearly about the game situation or what is the best plan away from your bowling. Sometimes you just want to get to fine leg and have a drink and get away from it,” Hazlewood told Wide World Of Sports.

“It’s probably a bit easier for a batter to have a general overlook in how things are going” : Josh Hazlewood

Hazlewood elaborated that it is indeed comfortable for a batsman to have a good view of how things are transpiring and not get invested in the actual skill which one is doing at that time. The 28-year old believes that while fielding within the 30-yard circle, one could get an idea of how things are flowing.

“It’s probably a bit easier for a batter to have a general overlook in how things are going and not be invested in your actual skill which you are doing at that time. Certainly in Test cricket you can field at mid-on or mid-off and you can get a good idea of how things are going,” he added.

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