New Delhi: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar had expressed his thoughts on how star India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will not be able to play in all three formats of the game for a long time. “Bumrah has difficult action. He cannot play in all formats,” Akhtar told former India opener, Aakash Chopra, in his show AakashVani.
Bumrah, who got the status of being one of the world’s best pacers in all three formats of the game after playing a major role India’s first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018-19, sustained a strain fracture in his back ahead of the home series against South Africa. He missed the entire home season last year and only made a comeback in the New Zealand tour where he couldn’t able to give his best.
Raising concerns about Bumrah’s back issues, Akhtar stated, “It is his braveness that he showed his skills in Test matches. He is a very hard working guy and is very focused. He knows where he wants to go. But will his back support him?”
The cricketer-turned-commentator also claimed that he had predicted such an injury to Bumrah a lot earlier. “Till when will his back withstand that much load. It had to break down. I was watching his matches before he broke down. I was telling my friends that he will break down,” he said.
Bumrah averages in the early 20s in all formats of the game and has 62 wickets in Tests along with 104 in ODIs and 59 in T20Is. He is expected to be back in action with the Mumbai Indians during the IPL edition in UAE. The game will be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10.
