'He takes time and tournaments off, is given rest': Bishop wants Bumrah to emulate Australia pacer to remain injury-free
Sharing his views about Jasprit Bumrah's unavailability as the Indian pacer is still on the long road to recovery, the former West Indies pacer explained how the Indian think tank can zealously preserve the career of the star fast bowler.
Speed merchant Jasprit Bumrah was not named in India's squad for the 2nd and 3rd Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 as India named an unchanged squad for the remainder of the four-match series against Australia. Bumrah, who has been out of action for almost five months, is reportedly doubtful to ply his trade in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
It is also a possibility that the Mumbai Indians (MI) superstar might miss the summit clash of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) if Rohit Sharma's India secure its berth for the final in June. Sharing his views about Bumrah's unavailability as the Indian pacer is still on the long road to recovery, former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop explained how the Indian think tank can zealously preserve the career of the star fast bowler.
"Jasprit Bumrah has got an extra sharpness about his bowling when he is at his best, and you want to procure that. He is a match-winner and a difference-maker. Part of India's success will largely depend on if he is fit or not. So you have to allow him to miss certain games and tours in order to have longevity," Bishop told senior journalist Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel.
Bishop, who played 43 Tests and 84 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for the West Indies, observed that premier pacers struggle to feature regularly across formats in the modern era. Mentioning Bumrah, Jofra Archer and Mitchell Starc in the same breath, Bishop discussed the extraordinary longevity of the veteran Australian pacer. Starc will make his return to the Australian side in the 3rd Test against India on Wednesday. The 33-year-old has played 75 Tests, 107 ODIs and 58 T20Is for Australia.
"No bowler can play all the formats continuously. I have two formats and I struggled with my back. Sadly for fans, you have to pick and choose what are the important contests for each player. You've got Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer and Mitchell Starc. Starc is probably a good example, he takes time off and takes tournaments off. He is given rest so that he maintains his speed. These bowlers if they don't have that cutting-edge speed that they had at their prime spells, they just become another of the bowlers of the trend," Bishop added.