Chetan Sharma, the former chairman of selectors of the Indian men's team, has put his weight behind Jasprit Bumrah over the ongoing workload management debate. Several fans and critics have questioned Bumrah's management by the Indian team as the star pacer has picked and chosen matches that he played during the recent Test series against England.
Bumrah was supposed to play in three Test matches before the Indian team landed in England as part of his workload management. As Bumrah is an all-format player and with the T20 World Cup coming in February next year, it was deemed that the pacer would not play all five matches. Some criticised the call, while some have backed him.
Recently, the former chief selector has backed Bumrah, saying that one should do what the physios tell. "If the medical team advises, if the doctor tells me that I have to take antibiotics, then I have to consume them. If our physios is telling a player to manage workload, I think we should listen to them because they are the better judges,” Sharma told PTI.
Meanwhile, Sharma backed that the Indian team will do well in the upcoming Asia Cup. "I know that whoever is selected will be the best for the country. And the kind of cricket we are playing right now, I'm really proud with the way India played in England. And I'm very confident that we are definitely going to win the Asia Cup (to be played in T20 format) because soon after that we are playing the T20 World Cup (in 2026) in India," he added.
Earlier, Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar had also backed Bumrah. "Look, considering how many years Jasprit Bumrah has been playing and competing in all formats, it is tough for anyone to sustain that. And with the kind of bowling action Bumrah has, injuries can happen to him or to anyone," he said.
He added that playing fewer matches does not limit a player's impact. "I had no problem with him playing three out of five matches. If the selectors know what he can offer and are okay with it, it’s because they know he can still make a big impact in those three games. If a player might not play all five matches but will contribute significantly in three, that should be okay," he explained.
