'I tried to do that with mine and messed it up': Ian Bishop's lethal warning to recovering Bumrah amid IPL 2023
Ex-West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop has fired a lethal warning to Jasprit Bumrah amid the ongoing edition of the IPL.
Sympathising with injured pacer Jasprit Bumrah amid the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop has observed that a bowler of the Indian pacer's calibre cannot feature in every single international tournament. One of the finest bowlers in the modern era of the game, Indian speedster Bumrah was earlier ruled out of the IPL 2023 following a recurring back injury.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer recently underwent back surgery in New Zealand. Bumrah has missed an entire IPL season for the first time since his blockbuster debut in the 2013 edition of the cash-rich league. The premier pacer of the Men In Blue has not featured in any competitive match since September last year. Bumrah also missed the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup in 2022 due to a back injury.
Talking about Bumrah's recent injury struggles in an interview, Bishop shared noteworthy advice for the injured Indian fast bowler. "Any fast bowler worth his soul can play all formats of the game all year and maintain his cutting-edge pace, it is just too demanding. The sprint up and and down, the hamstring, the workload of the body. It has to be managed," Bishop told PTI.
"I don't think there is any one recipe (to manage workload). Because we don't decide on the minds and bodies of these outstanding athletes. That decision has to be made by the individual and administrators close to him but I will throw one thing out for governing bodies, it is just an advice. You can't play these guys (Bumrah and Co.) in every tournament," he added.
Bishop, who featured for the West Indies in 43 Tests and 84 One Day Internationals (ODIs), opined that it is too late for the India star to tweak his bowling action. “It is a tough one. How do you change (action)? Mikey (Holding) is like a father figure to me and I know he spoke to Mark Wood about extending his run up to alleviate the exacting force on his body compared to a shorter run and Mark has done that and it seems to have assisted him,” Bishop said.
Bishop also advised Bumrah to be over cautious on his return to competitive cricket. The former West Indie star feels Bumrah can take a bit longer to stage his comeback."So Jasprit is going to find his own way. I don't think you can look at changing his action. I tried to do that with mine and messed it up totally. I would personally look at managing what he does. Strengthening the core muscles of the body a lot. He is not 21 or 22. When you have done what he has done most of his career, it is hard to make a significant change. You can tweak it in some way shape or form but perhaps that is all he would be able to do. Can't wait for him to comeback. Love watching him bowl," he added.