Veteran Indian cricket team fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar defended Jasprit Bumrah on the controversy surrounding his ‘workload management’.
Several experts as well as fans were extremely critical of Bumrah not playing all five Test matches in the series against England. Bumrah played three matches but with India trailing 1-2, he was rested for the final encounter. Bhuvneshwar pointed out that Bumrah’s bowling action results in quite a few injuries and given the amount of cricket he has played over the years, it is understandable that Bumrah prefers to not play all the matches at present.
“Considering how many years Bumrah has been playing and competing in all formats, it is tough for anyone to sustain that. Given the kind of bowling action Bumrah has, injuries can happen to him or anyone. I had no problem with him playing three out of five matches,” Bhuvneshwar said.
Bhuvneshwar went on to say that even if Bumrah does not play all the matches in a series, his contributions make it a good decision for the selectors.
“If the selectors know what he can offer and are comfortable with it, it is because they know he can still make a big impact in those three games. If a player might not play all five matches but can contribute significantly in three, that should be acceptable – people do not always understand how tough it is to keep playing for so many years across formats.
“There is pressure as well. If you want someone to play for long, you have to manage him well. So, I did not have any problem.”
Bumrah is likely to play for the Indian cricket team in the Asia Cup 2025 but will reportedly be rested for the first Test match against West Indies in order to manage his workload.