Indian cricket superstar Jasprit Bumrah is once again in the headlines, but this time not for his bowling skills, but for the uproar over his “workload management”.
There is an uproar in Indian cricket over Bumrah. Veterans like former cricketers Sandeep Patil and Sunil Gavaskar have raised questions on Bumrah’s selective playing of matches and BCCI’s attitude.
What is this workload management affair?
Bumrah has been India’s number 1 bowler for the last few years, but his injury history is also not hidden from anyone. In the recent Test series against England, the BCCI decided that Bumrah would play only three Tests, so that his fitness remains intact.
The result was that the series was drawn 2-2, and in the two matches that India won, Bumrah did not play, Mohammed Siraj performed brilliantly in these matches, but all the anger is coming out on Bumrah.
Now the question is, did Bumrah himself choose when to play and when not? No! Was this the decision of coach Gautam Gambhir, selector Ajit Agarkar or physio?
“This is all nonsense”: Sandeep Patil fumes
Former all-rounder Sandeep Patil has called this entire drama “nonsense”. He told Mid-Day,
“I wonder how the BCCI is agreeing to all this. Is the physio more important than the captain or head coach? What about the selectors?
Are we now going to expect the physio to sit in selection committee meetings? Will he take the call?”
Patil says that playing for the country is a matter of pride. He remembered the old days when Sunil Gavaskar used to bat all five days and Kapil Dev used to bowl without taking a break.
Patil even told that in 1981, he played the next test even after getting a head injury!
Sunil Gavaskar is also angry!
Sunil Gavaskar is also not a fan of this workload management. He says that playing for the country is an honour, and there is no scope for “choosing” in it.
Patil clarified it further, “Workload management is nonsense. Either you are fit or unfit, that’s how we [their selection committee] picked teams. We didn’t get into this workload business.”
He believes that today’s players get every facility, yet they make excuses of injuries.
Question on BCCI
According to reports, BCCI is also not happy with Bumrah’s less participation. But the question is that if Bumrah’s body is struggling with injuries, then is workload management wrong? Or are the old veterans right that a player should play for the country under all circumstances?
Only time will give the answer to this debate, but for now, the problems of Bumrah and BCCI seem to be increasing.
