'India made a mistake. But if they're brave enough, they can replace Bumrah with...': Pakistan great's massive statement

The former Pakistan cricketer made a huge remark on Jasprit Bumrah's unavailability as he suggested a unique name for his replacement in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

Team India faced a massive blow to their World Cup chances on Thursday as it was reported that Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the marquee tournament with a back stress fracture. Bumrah had earlier been ruled out of the Asia Cup with a back injury as well, and played merely two matches since his return earlier this month in the series against Australia before facing another injury. The 28-year-old pacer is widely regarded as one of the best in the business, and Team India is likely to have a hard time finding a replacement for the bowler with similar stature.

Jasprit Bumrah (AP)

However, former Pakistan bowler Aaqib Javed believes that India possesses an apt replacement for Bumrah, at least for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Javed says that pace sensation Umran Malik, who had drawn the eyeballs of cricket community with his consistent 150+kph speeds in the 2022 Indian Premier League, can fill Bumrah's place in the Indian team.

“After the last IPL, I think India did make a mistake. Umran Malik was aggressive and he has pace. Yes, you might want to wait for batsmen to play out two seasons before bringing him to the team, even with spinners. But when it comes to fast bowlers, you don't have to be scared. You have to bring him to team straightaway," Javed told paktv.tv.

“When you bowl with that sort of pace, the batsman has to make a quick decision. You saw what happened to Pakistan batters against Mark Wood. Pace is very important.”

Further elaborating on the same, Javed said that bowlers with serious pace rule the roost in T20Is and India need to be “brave” and select Umran Malik.

"You are playing him (Umran) for India 'A'. He should be with the senior team. You are going to Australia, the ball doesn't seam or swing that much there. There are dry conditions there.

“In T20s, your bad ball can also become a good delivery. It all depends on reaction time. When you are trying to hit out, you have chances to take a wicket. You won't see many effective swing bowlers in the shortest format. Most top bowlers in T20s have pace. India did make a mistake, but if they are brave enough, they can still bring Umran in place of Bumrah,” said the former Pakistan cricketer who represented the side in 22 Tests and 163 ODIs.