India’s sensational bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been plagued with a back injury since July last year and he has only played two games for team India in that period. He missed out on some really important tournaments and series including the Asia Cup 2022, and the T20 World Cup 2022. He is also ruled out of the upcoming 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League as he has recently undergone back surgery.
Bumrah has been out of action since September 2022. He subsequently pulled out of a white-ball series against South Africa and could not make it to the T20 World Cup. will take around 6 months to complete his recovery and rehabilitation. This will give Bumrah a very small window to attain full fitness ahead of the much-awaited ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
Shoaib Akhtar On Jasprit Bumrah’s Bowling Action
Meanwhile, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels that the “unusual bowling action” and lack of “workload management” has made Bumrah injury prone. Akhtar has opined that with the kind of bowling action Bumrah has, he will continue to face issues related to injuries if he plays regularly in all formats.
Speaking to Sports Tak about Bumrah’s injury issues, Akhtar said: “He has this front-on action and when he loads up before delivering the bowl he puts a lot of pressure on his spinal cord. We used to be side-on, and bowlers like me we could take help from our hips, thighs, from left hand as well and that used to compensate (for the pressure on the back). Unfortunately, Jasprit doesn’t have that leverage,”
Further, Akhtar also slammed team management for not being able to manage Bumrah. He said:
“A front-on action has no compensation and with that action, when the back gives in, you can’t escape it irrespective of how much you try. With the amount of cricket he has played he will break down. He was a regular in all three formats then he was playing IPL. His action is not that sustainable.
It’s unfortunate, I feel India could have managed him a bit better. And he himself should have been more aware of which format he should play and which he should skip,”
Akhtar’s Advice For Bumrah
Akhtar concluded by suggesting what Jasprit Bumrah needs to do to stay fit and prolong his career. He said:
“If I have been in the management, I would have told him to play only three ODIs out of five and play only the crucial one. More training and fewer matches will prolong his career. He needs a lot of muscle in his back.”
“You can’t change his action, he has done so well with this action. He is a brave bowler and it makes me sad to see him going through this phase. I wish him a speedy recovery,”
