‘Nonsense, Natak’: Jasprit Bumrah’s Workload Management Slammed by Ex-Cricketer
Jasprit Bumrah’s limited appearances in the England Test series have drawn heavy criticism, with ex-selector Sandeep Patil slamming BCCI’s workload management policy as “nonsense.”
India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, widely regarded as one of the best in the world across formats, is once again at the centre of a national debate, this time not for his performance, but for not playing enough.
The pacer, who was rested for two of the five Tests in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, is facing sharp criticism over what many are calling “selective participation.”
India drew the series 2-2, and coincidentally, both their victories came in the Tests Bumrah didn’t feature in.
Mohammed Siraj, leading the pace attack in those games, picked up five-wicket hauls in both matches, fueling the argument that Bumrah’s absence wasn’t felt—and in fact, his “workload management” is now being seen as a problem.
What adds more weight to the controversy is that the decision to rest Bumrah may not have even been his own. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, or the medical team could have taken the call.
Yet, it is Bumrah who is facing the backlash. Former India cricketer and ex-selector Sandeep Patil has come down hard on the current system.
“I wonder how the BCCI is agreeing to all this. Is the physio more important than the captain, than the head coach? What about selectors? Are we to expect that the physio will be sitting in selection committee meetings now? Will he decide?” Patil told Mid-day.
Taking a dig at the modern era’s reliance on medical and fitness staff, Patil pointed towards a different mindset during his time. He recalled how legends like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev never sought breaks and regularly played through pain.
“I have seen Sunil Gavaskar bat all five days of a match, Kapil Dev bowl almost every day of a Test and still come bowl to us in the nets. They never complained. I didn’t miss a Test even after my head injury in Australia in 1981.”
This isn’t the first time workload management has been questioned. Earlier, Sunil Gavaskar himself had expressed frustration over what he saw as a growing trend of players picking and choosing games, which he believed didn’t align with the honour of representing the country.
“Workload management is nonsense. You’re either fit or unfit. That’s how we picked teams. No such thing existed. We didn’t even have proper rehab in our time. We played through injuries. Let’s just say we were happy to play for the country… no naatak,” Patil added.
