“India will not get the desired results” - Irfan Pathan opens up on Jasprit Bumrah’s workload debate

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has opened up on the Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s workload debate, stating that the Indian team will not get the desired results if the captain keeps resting him mid-match to manage his workload.

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Taking an example from the Lord’s Test against England in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Pathan stated that while Bumrah bowled five overs on the trott to Joe Root, he could’ve bowled a few more overs to get the batter dismissed instead of restricting himself to five overs, taking an example of Ben Stokes, who bowled nine consecutive overs.

“One thing is that a guy like Bumrah is very unique. They are like treasure with the kind of skill they have. I was the first one to say that the kind of skill he has is the best skill we have ever had. If you talk about the history of Indian cricket, he is the guy who can bowl inswing, outswing, bouncers, dipping slow ones, yorkers with a new ball, et cetera. He started with inswing. He is now doing outswing with a beautiful wrist position, and the kind of record he has is outstanding,” Irfan told RevSportz.

“He was bowling five overs one day, he would take a break the next day, and then he would come again and bowl for six overs. He’s very clear. The team is very clear in terms of recovery and the plan. So, proper process is in place before the game time starts,” he added.

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“What I’m saying is that process is not for during the games. When Joe Root came, he bowled the five-over spell, which he generally does, and he has gotten Root out 11 times. I’m talking about the Lord’s Test match; Root and Ben Duckett had a partnership. It was very important for captain Shubman Gill that his No. 1 bowler bowls 1-2 overs, because if he does that, there’s a high chance for him (Root) to get out to Bumrah, because he had done it before and could have done it again. It could also have been possible that he did not get the wicket even after bowling those two overs, but you must take the chances,” he noted.

“My thing was that, why not take chances and get restricted to those five overs? In the same game, Ben Stokes bowled a spell of nine overs on the fourth day, being an all-rounder. Bumrah goes to fine leg, so there is recovery in different areas. He gets proper space, and I’m not raising a question on Bumrah’s attitude. No, I will not be a fool to do that, because he is someone who gives Test cricket priority, especially after the back injury, which a lot of other guys have not given,” the all-rounder added.

“What I’m trying to say is once you are there on the field, it is like a war, and you go all out. Now, if Indian cricket decides that’s how they will manage him, then they can, but I don’t think the desired results will be received until and unless we push things at the time of importance, like the Lord’s Test. If we keep managing the workload during the game and keep following the recovery structure, then how will we get the result?,” he questioned.

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While Irfan is perfectly okay with Bumrah managing his workload between the Test matches by taking enough rest, he isn’t okay with the pacer taking mid-match breaks, restricting himself within the spell, which can make things difficult for Team India.

“By all means, give every bit of importance to Bumrah because there is not a second one like him, but workload management and recovery should be something to do between the Test matches when there was almost nine days of gap. When someone is playing three out of five Test matches, then restricting yourself within the spells as well will make things difficult for the team. I can guarantee that this won’t fetch desired result for the team,” Irfan concluded.

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