Former Pakistan star and one of the finest pacers of all time, who is known in the cricket world for his exceptional performances and incredible accomplishments, Waqar Younis applauded an Indian star who has risen for his side with impressive performances and made his name bigger in recent years.
Yes, we are talking about star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who delivered a remarkable performance for India in every format. Well, Pakistan great praised Bumrah for his brilliance in white-ball cricket for India. On the other hand, Waqar Younis also added that he still needs to prove more in Test format for the Indian team.
In his career span, Jasprit Bumrah amazed the cricket world with his surprising stats. In 91 ODI matches, Jasprit Bumrah succeeded in scalping 151 wickets for India at an average of 23.7. Meanwhile, in 100 T20Is, he took 126 wickets at an economy of 6.53. His Test stats include, 52 matches with 234 wickets at an average of 19.7.
Jasprit Bumrah delivered absolute brilliance, whenever he got a chance to play for India. However, Waqar Younis feels that he still needs to prove himself more in Test format to match the level of Australian greats Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Waqar Younis didn’t criticize or question Jasprit Bumrah’s skills or ability. He passed his opinion after seeking Bumrah’s less Test game experience than some of the top bowlers.
Throughout his career, injuries have played a big role for Jasprit Bumrah as they cause a major problem with his availability for Team India. Meanwhile, the Indian team also managed his workload carefully. According to strategy, Bumrah is yet to feature in a Test for India in 2026. The pacer will return for the two-match Test series against New Zealand.
“There’s no modern-day bowler of the same calibre as Bumrah with the white ball. Leave out Test cricket. He still has a lot to prove in Tests; he hasn’t played as much. There are plenty of others, like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. You can’t ignore some of the English bowlers either. But when you talk about T20 and one-day cricket, I feel that in terms of impact, Bumrah always delivers in crunch scenarios. And that’s what matters,” Waqar Younis said on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast.
Waqar Younis also added that no other bowler can match the Indian pacer in white-ball cricket. He applauded them for their absolute brilliance in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where the Indian side turned down the match against their arch-rivals, Pakistan and also succeeded in sealing the match.
“Whenever an India captain is in trouble, he always gives the ball to Bumrah. Pakistan had no business losing in New York. The required rate was well under control. That over in which Bumrah dismissed Rizwan proved to be the difference. Impact players are the key players. A top player can motivate others who too feel that we have to match him,” Waqar said.