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Bumrah injured again, doubtful for T20 World Cup
Fast bowler to be assessed again after missing the first T20I against South Africa with a recurring back problem.
Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the ongoing Twenty20 series against South Africa due to a recurring back problem, making him a doubtful starter for the T20 World Cup in Australia next month. If he can't play, Bumrah will be the second top player after Ravindra Jadeja--sidelined due to a knee injury--to miss the World Cup. The last date to name a replacement without seeking ICC permission is October 15. Mohammed Shami, whose Covid results have returned negative, is being shortlisted as his standby. Mohammed Siraj could take Shami's place in the World Cup reserves, alongside Deepak Chahar.
Bumrah has been asked to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be assessed further. Multiple sources within the team and the BCCI have refused to completely rule out Bumrah’s World Cup participation. However, they admitted, given the complexity of Bumrah’s back issues – a similar stress fracture in the lower back ruled him out for four months in 2019 – a miraculous return in time for the World Cup will be contingent on a number of variables related to the injury. “Give it a week’s time,” a BCCI official said.
Since the IPL Bumrah has featured in just three T20Is, one in England in July and two against Australia at home this month. The England tour in July, where he led in the one-off Test, was the last time Bumrah was bowling full tilt across formats. He missed the Asia Cup with a back injury before being picked for the home T20I series against Australia and South Africa. He played the second and third T20Is against Australia on September 23 and 25 before missing the first match against South Africa on September 28 because of back pain.
Bumrah’s unmatched bowling prowess and his effectiveness in T20 cricket (he has not missed an IPL season since 2013) make him virtually impossible to replace. This is why the question must be asked whether those six overs against Australia actually aggravated his injury. Instead of giving him more time to recover and regain match fitness, Bumrah was straightaway picked for the Australia series after his rehab at the NCA but he missed the first T20I in Mohali. He pulled out of training in the first match against South Africa on Wednesday, following which the BCCI sent out a statement that he had been ruled out of the game due to 'back pain'.
Bumrah’s unconventional bowling action, where he loads up with a short run-up followed by an hyper-extension in his delivery stride, has long been deemed injury-prone by experts. A research paper by Dr Simon Feros, a lecturer in functional anatomy/strength and conditioning sciences and former India physio John Gloster had concluded that Bumrah faces the threat of an injury to his 'lumbar vertebrae'.
"Bumrah tends to release the ball outside the line of the front foot. This means he can 'push' at the ball, usually resulting in an excellent in-swing delivery to a right-hand batter. However, if he exceeds 45 degrees of trunk lateral flexion (which I think he may on some occasions), then this element of his action may pose some injury concerns to his lumbar vertebrae," Feros wrote.
Gloster concluded his analysis by stating that the body is an ‘amazing machine’ and given time will adapt to almost anything. It adapted well for six years in an international career spanning 30 Tests, 72 ODIs and 60 T2OIs, catapulting Bumrah to one of the leading fast bowlers of his generation. But this latest setback raises questions if Bumrah's workload, injury and recovery have been properly managed.
