'No matter how much fitness training you do, or how fit you are, injuries are inevitable because fast bowling is the hardest job in cricket.'
Even as ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah continues to be a key figure in Team India's success across formats, questions surrounding his workload management have once again resurfaced.
The 31-year-old Bumrah has endured a spate of injuries in recent times, notably a back injury that ruled him out of several major assignments. He featured in only three of the five Tests during India’s recent series against England, with the team management making it clear before the tour that he would not play all five matches.
As Bumrah prepares for his return to the shortest format in national colours in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in the UAE, former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof shared his thoughts on the pacer's recurring fitness issues and how the team management could effectively manage his workload.
“He has done wonderfully well, but unfortunately, he keeps getting injured because of his back issues. Being a fast bowler myself, I understand what he is going through. It’s important for him as well as the BCCI to manage his workload carefully going forward because Bumrah is one of a kind. Players like him don’t come into the system very often, so when he’s there, it’s crucial to maximise his international career. People have to understand that every time a fast bowler delivers a ball, more than three times their body weight goes through their body. This puts immense stress on the back, knees, ankles - everything,” Maharoof, who is currently active in cricket commentary and analysis, told India Today.
Maharoof, a veteran of 139 international matches across formats, added that fast bowlers are prone to injury due to the extreme physical stress, repetitive motion, and high impact forces of their bowling action.
“It’s a day-to-day struggle that every fast bowler faces. When you do this repeatedly over a long period, it takes its toll (on the body). For example, Jasprit played all five Tests in Australia and bowled tirelessly for many overs. That’s the after-effect that contributed to his injury in Sydney. No matter how much fitness training you do, or how fit you are, injuries are inevitable because fast bowling is the hardest job in cricket. As a fan of Bumrah, I just hope he keeps improving, continues to wear the national jersey, and maintains his hunger to play lots of cricket, which is a very good sign. I also hope he is well looked after, especially when it comes to managing his workload,” Maharoof noted.
Maharoof, who retired from international cricket in 2016 after a career spanning over twelve years, hailed Bumrah as one of the greatest bowlers ever due to his exceptional skills and consistency across formats and compared him with the legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram.
“I remember when I played against Jasprit in the Champions League, around 2013 or 2014. What I remember of him then and what I see now is a big difference. I think it's his action (which makes him effective). Gone are the days when he was, for example, just an inswing bowler to right-handers. Nowadays, he has developed an effective outswing as well. If you ask 90 percent of the batters around the world, apart from India, who the most difficult bowler to face in any form of the game is, they would say Jasprit Bumrah. That’s similar to how Wasim Akram was seen in his prime,” added Maharoof.