Jasprit Bumrah has been receiving criticism lately after the pacer played only three out of the five matches at the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, citing workload management.
The criticism was triggered after he didn’t feature in the final Test match at the Oval, which was a must-win game for India, as they were trailing 1-2.
It was Mohammed Siraj, who led the Indian pace attack in Bumrah’s absence, and proved to be a difference maker as India sealed a win.
Former chief selector backs Jasprit Bumrah
Former Indian cricketer and ex-chief selector Chetan Sharma weighed in on the issue and defended Bumrah. Speaking to PTI, he said, “If the medical team advises, if the doctor tells me that I have to take antibiotics, then I have to consume them. If our physios is telling a player to manage workload, I think we should listen to them because they are the better judges.”
Bumrah is likely to feature in India’s Asia Cup squad, which will be played in T20 format this year.
Chetan Sharma predicted India to perform well in the multi-nation touranment. “I know that whoever is selected will be the best for the country. And the kind of cricket we are playing right now, I’m really proud with the way India played in England. And I’m very confident that we are definitely going to win the Asia Cup (to be played in T20 format) because soon after that we are playing the T20 World Cup (in 2026) in India,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar also shared his perspective on Bumrah’s workload management. He wrote in his Mid-Day column, “Nobody is indispensable. That’s why it is of prime importance for the selectors to now decide when Jasprit Bumrah should be playing. There’s already been a lot of debate about his appearances in the recently concluded series in England.”
“The Indian team management stated that he wasn’t picked considering his future. This is where the lines between what is good for the individual and what is good for Indian cricket got a little blurred,” he added.