'Just as Cricket Australia manages Mitchell Starc's workload to preserve him for key series and tournaments, the BCCI should ensure that our premier fast bowler is preserved for the most important contests.'
Jasprit Bumrah's workload management has become a huge issue of debate after the pace spearhead featured in just three of the five Tests in England.
Given Bumrah's recurring back injury issues in the last few years, the BCCI medical team along with the selectors and the team management decided the pacer would feature only in three Tests.
In fact, Bumrah had revealed during the England series that in consultation with his doctors he was the one who had decided he could not play all five Tests in England, which also led him to turn down the India Test captaincy.
'BCCI was looking at me for the leadership role, but I had to say no because it's not ideal to lead for just a few matches and then step away. That's not fair to the team. I wanted to put the team first,' Bumrah told Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports in June.
'We discussed my workload for the five match Test series. I consulted with the people who help manage my back, and we all agreed I need to be smarter about how I approach the future.'
Despite bowling his heart out in the three Tests he played, Bumrah faced undue criticism for missing the must win fifth and final Test at The Oval. The critics noted that India had failed to win all three Tests which Bumrah played, but conveniently overlooked the fact that in those three Tests he had bagged 14 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls.
Former chairman of selectors M S K Prasad, who was at the helm when Bumrah made his international debut in 2016, supports the decision to manage his workload, believing that should be preserved for important matches and tournaments.
"I totally agree with what the team management and selectors did with regards to managing Bumrah's workload issue in England," Prasad tells Rediff's Harish Kotian.
"I hope the team management continues to play him in the similar role like how they did in England, with his workload carefully managed, going forward also."
"With the peculiar action that he has got with the delayed release, he is prone to injuries. It is similar to Mitchell Starc, he has also been struggling with injuries for the last 7, 8 years but Cricket Australia has protected him quite well and Starc has managed to raise the bar really well in big games."
"What Mitchell Starc is to Australia, Bumrah is for India, maybe one step ahead of Starc."
Prasad also dismissed criticism of Bumrah's workload management pointing out to his numbers in England, where he sent down 119.4 overs in three Tests at a rate of nearly 24 overs in each of the five innings he bowled.
"Bumrah is a boon for Indian cricket. If somebody says something else (about the workload) then it is absolutely not acceptable."
"Just as Cricket Australia manages Starc's workload to preserve him for key series and tournaments, the BCCI should also ensure that our premier fast bowler is preserved for the most important contests."
Prasad cited the example of Hardik Pandya, who was forced to quit Test cricket on medical advice following regular injury issues.
"Whenever we used to sit in the selection committee meetings, the physio report, the statistics table and all other related reports are tabled, so we get all details on whether a player is fit or not. This is a very rare instance where a player is going to play only three Tests in a series," he stated.
"I remember when Hardik Pandya got injured, it was said that he cannot bowl more than 7-8 overs in a day on the advice of the medical team treating him. That's the reason he himself has withdrawn from Test cricket."
"But a match-winner like Bumrah is so valuable, he is someone who can bowl 20-plus overs in an innings and win us games on his own. However, with his age catching up we need to preserve and protect him."
Prasad hailed Bumrah's impact with the ball, especially in Test cricket. The Indian pacer has taken 219 wickets in 48 Tests at an incredible average of 19.82 -- the best by any bowler in the history of Test cricket with 200 wickets or more.
"Any batsman in the world will admit that facing Bumrah is a challenge they would rather avoid -- that's the aura of fear he has created. We should all feel proud that he is an Indian and represents our national team.
"Over the years, he has proven his worth across formats, and the numbers speak for themselves when it comes to his success."
"Bumrah's bowling action does make him prone to injuries, but whenever he takes the field, he is one of the deadliest bowlers to face."
"I am certain his teammates, cricket fans, and the BCCI will all agree with this fact. Bumrah is undoubtedly one of the finest fast bowlers India has ever produced."
© 2025