Jasprit Bumrah is on the verge of getting ruled out of the T20 World Cup on Thursday due to a “back stress fracture,” a situation that alarmed the Indian cricket community. Bumrah, who is regarded as one of the most dangerous bowlers in contemporary cricket, has been the Indian team’s top pacer in recent years. His absence from the World Cup in Australia, where the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team is already without Ravindra Jadeja, would be a serious blow to their chances.
Wasim Jaffer, the former Indian batter, was questioned on ESPNCricinfo on if a break may impair a fast bowler’s rhythm and make him injury prone after the extended break and the injury to Bumrah. Jaffer recalled his conversation with former India bowler Zaheer Khan in his reply.
“Absolutely. I’ve spoken to Zaheer as I’m pretty close to him. When he played for Worcestershire, he played literally four months of non-stop cricket. That’s how Zaheer Khan’s resurgence happened, post the 2006 season. That’s what he told me, if he plays consistently and bowls a lot of overs, he feels in rhythm and his body feels good. The moment he feels there’s a break, it takes him a while to get back to shape again,” Jaffer said.
“Most bowlers want it that way. If they are on the field, they are playing, there are raring to go. The moment a break happens, you have to start over. That’s why, I’m pretty sure Bumrah probably pushed himself to be ready for the T20 World Cup,” said the former India opener.
