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'Bumrah's action isn't sustainable. If I was there I'd have told him...': Akhtar blames India for mismanagement
Speaking on the injury, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar pointed fingers at the Indian team for mismanagement and for Bumrah's unusual action for the injury
He had already missed Asia Cup, T20 World Cup, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and now IPL and World Test Championship final are also set to become the tournaments Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be ruled out of as fans anxiously wait each day for a positive update on the India star. A back injury and subsequently a surgery has left Bumrah on the sidelines for five months and is slated to take few more months regain fitness. Speaking on the injury, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar pointed fingers at the Indian team for mismanagement and for Bumrah's unusual action for the injury.
Bumrah had first incurred the injury in August last year which led to him missing the Asia Cup along with a few other fixtures. He was later rushed back into the team as he played the preparatory home series against Australia for the T20 World Cup before the injury aggravated and was ruled out.
Speaking to Sports Tak, Akhtar explained how Bumrah's bowling action is responsible for the recurring back injury.
“He has this front-on action and when he loads up before delivering the bowl he puts a lot of pressure on his spinal cord. We used to be side-on, and bowlers like me we could take help from our hips, thighs, from left hand as well and that used to compensate (for the pressure on the back). Unfortunately, Jasprit doesn’t have that leverage,” Akhtar said. “A front-on action has no compensation and with that action, when the back gives in, you can’t escape it irrespective of how much you try.”
The Pakistan legend also blamed the Indian management for not properly manage Bumrah's workload.
“The amount of cricket he has played he will break down. He was a regular in all three formats then he was playing IPL. His action is not that sustainable,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, I feel India could have managed him a bit better. And he himself should have been more aware of which format he should play and which he should skip.”
Akhtar suggested that for Bumrah to remain fit and prolong his career he should be played in only the crucial matches for India.
He said: “If I have been in the management, I would have told him to play only three ODIs out of five and play only the crucial one. More training and less matches will prolong his career. He needs a lot of muscle in his back.”
