"He will have to re-module his bowling action" - Former India keeper on Jasprit Bumrah's back injury
Former wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim feels that Team India's star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will have to modify his bowling action in order to prolong his career.
During a discussion on India News Sports, Karim suggested that once Bumrah returns to competitive cricket, he also needs to make a decision regarding the formats that he wishes to play.
He reckoned that the fast bowler cannot play in all three formats consistently, considering his injury woes.
"Looking at Jasprit Bumrah's injury, I believe that he will have to re-module his bowling action when he returns," Karim explained. "If he wants to prolong his career, he will also have to choose the formats that he wants to play in. Both the Indian team and the selectors know that they will have to prepare a bowling unit without Bumrah. We have seen that happen in the last few months.
"His action is such that there is a lot of stress on his back, which is why he keeps getting injured. His workload management has always been very good. He started off by playing white-ball cricket and later moved to red-ball cricket. He was given enough rest in between matches."
Notably, Bumrah is expected to return to action with the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). However, according to Cricbuzz, the bowler is unlikely to take part in this year's cash-rich league.
He has had to miss out on several important matches due to a stress fracture of the back. With a potential World Test Championship (WTC) bout on the cards, India will want the pacer to get completely fit ahead of the all-important clash.
"We should be prepared to play without him" - Saba Karim on Jasprit Bumrah's prolonged absence
Saba Karim further stated that Jasprit Bumrah's injury is very concerning as the national selectors have built the entire bowling unit around him. He, however, argued that the Indian think tank will have to identify an attack that could succeed in big events even in Bumrah's absence.
The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that while Bumrah's addition will be a big advantage, India should be prepared to play without him.
"While Jasprit Bumrah needs to play in selective formats, it becomes tough for a selector," he added. "Usually, selectors build a bowling unit around one bowler. It will be a big plus for Team India if he can remain fit. But overall, we should be prepared to play without him."
According to reports, Jasprit Bumrah could miss the upcoming IPL 2023 and the WTC Final in June ❌🇮🇳
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Due to his back injury, Bumrah was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2022 and the T20 World Cup in 2022. He was last seen in action during India's home T20I series against Australia in September last year.