"Tends to end careers of cricketers" - Mohammad Amir on Jasprit Bumrah's longstanding back injury

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir feels too much cricket has taken a toll on star Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah's body, which has resulted in frequent injuries.

Bumrah has struggled with a troublesome back since last year. He missed the 2022 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. The ace pacer hasn't featured in any competitive games since September last year.

He was tipped to make a comeback during the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, but the extent of the injury was more severe than anticipated.

Throwing light on the same, Amir reckoned that these types of injuries tend to end careers. However, he longed for Bumrah to recover well and hoped to see him on the ground soon.

"What I feel is that Bumrah consistently played cricket for a long time, across formats, and then played in the IPL as well," Amir told Hindustan Times Digital. "India too play cricket all around the year. He is human. At the end of the day, the body gets tired and it demands rest.

"I always say back and knee injuries for a bowler are two which I wouldn't even wish for my enemy. It tends to end careers of cricketers. I hope he is strong and is recovering well."

It is worth noting that Bumrah recently underwent surgery in New Zealand.

He will miss the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval in June.

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"He is the most improved bowler" - Mohammad Amir backs Mohammed Siraj to take over in Jasprit Bumrah's absence

Mohammad Amir further reckoned that Mohammed Siraj is the best bowler to take over India's pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

He reckons that Siraj is the most improved bowler in any format and should take over the mantle.

"The bowler who has most impressed me is Mohammed Siraj," Amir said. "If you look at the recent past, he is the most improved bowler in any format. With him, you need to groom 1-2 young bowlers ready because, in about a year or two, players like Shami will also be sticking to a single format."

Amir also stated that young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh can be a decent choice in red-ball cricket because he can swing the ball both ways.

However, he reckons Umran Malik won't be a good option in Test cricket and should only be pursued in limited-overs cricket.

"Arshdeep Singh can be a really good option in red-ball cricket because he can swing the ball both ways," Amir continued. "I don't see Umran Malik, with that raw pace, making that cut in Test cricket because for players like him, you need to follow a certain method.

"Let him stick to white-ball cricket and maybe when he learns the art of handling pressure then he can slowly be injected into the Test team in the future."

Umran will next be seen in action in the upcoming three-match ODI series between India and Australia, which starts on Friday, March 17, in Mumbai.

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