Jasprit Bumrah Suggested 'Quit Test Cricket' Warned Of 'High Risk Of Injuries' In Akhtar's Wild Forecast (Source: AP/X)
The cricket world has seen many great bowlers in history, but very few were as rare as Jasprit Bumrah. No matter what the format, the ace India pacer has been a nightmare for the batters. His records speak volumes of the quality he brings to the table. With over 400 wickets across formats, he is already one of the greatest of all times.
Bumrah has played a significant role in India's juggernaut in Test cricket. Ever since his debut in 2018 against South Africa, India's record overseas improved drastically. India won back-to-back series in Australia while they also picked up some emphatic wins in England and South Africa.
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Despite his tremendous Test record, where he picked up 185 wickets in just 42 matches, former Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar isn't too sure of Bumrah's success in the format. Akhtar made a weird remark and said that if he was Bumrah, he would stick to shorter formats. Akhtar believes Bumrah lacks the pace to be a great bowler in the format. He advised the pacer to increase his pace if he wants to continue playing Test cricket.
There are two points hard to digest in Akhtar's statement. How can Bumrah lack pace when he clocks 140kmph consistently? Secondly, is pace the only weapon for the bowlers in Test cricket? Some of the all-time greats like Glenn McGrath and James Anderson were not known to bowl thunderbolts but relied on lines and length to deceive the batters.
"You know, in Test cricket, you have to bowl longer spells. The batters don't try to attack you, so length becomes irrelevant. You struggle if the ball doesn't seam then. When you start struggling, the team will start questioning. I think he is a good enough fast bowler to take wickets in Test cricket," Akhtar said on TNKS Podcast.
"Although he didn't do much in the Test series against New Zealand, it happens. But if he wants to continue playing Test cricket, he has to increase pace. With the injection of increasing pace, he has a high risk of getting injured. If I was Jasprit Bumrah, I'd stick to shorter formats. It only depends on how I feel," he added.
Akhtar though rates Bumrah in high regard when it comes to the shorter formats. "He is a very good fast bowler for the shorter formats. He understands line and length. His accuracy is brilliant. I think he does a great job in death overs, in powerplay and he can swing the ball both ways."
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