Legendary seamer Glenn McGrath has called for an off-season for star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah to manage his workload and regain his strength.
Bumrah’s workload management has become a major concern for India during the ongoing tour of England. In the five-match Test series, Bumrah played three Tests, as decided by the team management before the start of the tour. Bumrah, who chose not to play the fifth Test at The Oval, was released from the Indian team before the start of the match. He ended the series with 14 wickets, including two fifers. He was rested, considering his long-standing issue with a back injury.
“99.9 per cent of bowlers need an off-season to get strong again,” said McGrath while speaking at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai.
“His whole action is different from a lot of fast bowlers. He’s got a slow run-up, and the last few steps just really accelerate him through the crease. He’s got hyperextension, and he’s just got a great wrist. And the way he releases it is a fair bit closer to the batsman because of his technique than all other bowlers. So, there’s a lot that’s unique about him, but when he gets it right, it just all comes together well. He’s found what’s worked for him,” added McGrath.
The Australian pacer explained why Bumrah is prone to injuries, saying bowling like the Indian pacer is tough on the body. The 55-year-old suggested an off-season to help him regain body strength and fitness.
McGrath went on to explain why Bumrah frequently suffers from injuries. “Unfortunately, what he does is pretty tough on the body. Especially when you’re playing a lot of cricket, there’s no time to have an off-season. He really needs to get a lot stronger physically and fitter to put up with the stresses of fast bowling. And he needs an off-season. It will get him strong through the season,” he said.
Bumrah’s fitness and workload management have been a long-term concern for India. After India toured Australia in the winter, Bumrah was ruled out of the IPL until mid-season. In the England tour, Bumrah bowled a lot before struggling in Manchester. As the workload mounts on Bumrah, McGrath called for more support for him.
“You want your best bowler bowling. And he’ll want to bowl all the time. If he’s just bowling in short spells, then the batting team know they can just get through the three or four overs, and then they’re away. So it depends a lot on the other bowlers. You need another group of fast bowlers coming through to balance it out so that he doesn’t have to bowl long spells. You’ve got other bowlers bowling equally as well to carry the workload. You look at Bumrah – he’s so effective in ODI and T20 cricket. To limit himself to Test cricket would be a shame. But he’s got to work out what’s best for him,” McGrath said.