Former India all-rounder, Irfan Pathan believes the team management missed a chance by keeping Jasprit Bumrah in the Test squad for the West Indies series.
In his opinion it was a perfect chance for the selectors to groom young pacers and manage the workload of the ace fast bowler.
Pathan’s critique centers on India’s approach to Bumrah’s workload management, particularly given the home conditions in the upcoming series compared to challenging overseas tours.
Strategic rest in home Tests
“In England, we saw his workload needed careful handling. He didn’t play all the matches,” Pathan observed in a video on his YouTube channel. He was trying to highlight how India have previously handled Bumrah with care in tougher series. “Obviously the management is involved, the selectors are involved and the team’s thin-tank is involved,” the former all-rounder further added.
Irfan Pathan further emphasized that the upcoming series does not demand the undeniable presence of India’s primary pace weapon as the SENA tours. “In India, anyway, you don’t bowl as much,” Pathan noted. “Here, there was a big opportunity to manage his workload properly.”
Pathan praises Bumrah’s commitment to Test cricket
The former India international praised Jasprit Bumrah’s commitment to Test cricket, “It is a good thing for Indian cricket that he wants to play Tests.” However, he argued that resting the pacer would have served multiple purposes.
“If Bumrah hadn’t played this Test series, there would have been an opportunity for selectors to give him proper rest. Alongside they could have groomed a young fast bowler,” he added.
Pathan believes that this approach would have addressed India’s need for increasing their pace bowling depth while preserving their frontline quick for more demanding assignments ahead.
Building for the future
Pathan’s broader vision involves developing a fast bowling pool. “We have to groom good young fast bowlers. Three or four are not enough, when you look at long-term, you need at least a group of eight fast bowlers,” he observed.
The West Indies series, given India’s show in England, represented what the former all-rounder saw as an ideal testing ground. “There was an opportunity across two Tests to play a young fast bowler. I feel that was missed by the selectors.”
Context behind the critique
Irfan Pathan’s observations come at a time when India’s pace bowling stocks have been tested by injuries and the demands of year-round cricket. With the World Test Championship cycle ongoing and challenging assignments on the horizon, having match-tested alternatives becomes crucial.
The former all-rounder’s suggestion reflected one of the major problems of modern cricket – balancing act between immediate success and sustainable long-term investment in talent. “It is not about right or wrong thinking, but the opportunity was there,” Pathan concluded, emphasizing that strategic rest represents investment rather than compromise.
His comments highlight how low-risk series can be leveraged not just for victories, but for building the depth needed to sustain across cricket’s demanding calendar.