Former India national cricket team batsman, Mohammad Kaif, was not happy to see the team’s premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, being rested in the second T20I against the New Zealand national cricket team.
Mohammad Kaif feels that resting Jasprit Bumrah for the Raipur T20I was a wrong decision, and it doesn’t make sense to him why such a decision was taken by the Gautam Gambhir-led team management.
Jasprit Bumrah – India’s most important asset
Jasprit Bumrah is currently the most important asset of the Indian cricket team, and he is being wrapped in cotton wool by the BCCI selection committee to ensure that he remains fully fit and fine for the important matches.
Bumrah has been given a special privilege by the BCCI, and he is never asked to report for domestic cricket duties, as the team management wants to ensure that he stays away from injuries.
This right-arm fast bowler does not play regular cricket for Team India and gets rest from time to time. One such incident happened during the Raipur T20I against New Zealand, when India decided to include Harshit Rana in the playing eleven in his place.
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah played his first match against the Kiwis in Nagpur, where he bowled four overs and returned with figures of 0/29.
Why rest? What workload? – Mohammad Kaif criticized India’s ‘Jasprit Bumrah’ decision
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Mohammad Kaif clearly said that India took the wrong step by resting Jasprit Bumrah, and he felt there was no need to take such a decision, no matter what combination the team needed. He elaborated:
“Why rest? What workload? Has he just come in after playing a lot? He has already come in with proper rest. No, no, that doesn’t matter to me at all. If you want to rest, then rest Arshdeep Singh. If you want to bring in Harshit Rana, if Axar Patel is injured and you need to bat at number eight, then rest Arshdeep and bring in Bumrah. I mean, why are we comparing here? There is no comparison.”
He said, “If Bumrah has been kept out because of combination and it is being said that you need to bat at number eight then it is wrong. No power team in the world can keep Bumrah out because of combination. The team will adjust the combination, but Bumrah will play in the playing eleven.”
He plays Ranji, he plays Vijay Hazare – Mohammad Kaif on Mohammad Siraj
Mohammad Kaif, in particular, was unhappy to see another of India’s leading fast bowlers – Mohammed Siraj – constantly asked to prove his credentials every time he plays domestic cricket, as Bumrah is given preferential treatment. Mohammad Kaif elaborated:
“A bowler like Jasprit Bumrah cannot be rested after a match. He is not playing that much anyway. He has not played ODIs. Bumrah has already come rested. He doesn’t even play much domestic cricket. On the other hand, whenever Siraj gets a chance, he goes and plays domestic cricket. He plays Ranji, he plays Vijay Hazare. Bumrah has come properly rested.”
“Now if you talk about rest, yes, rest is taken when a player is playing continuously, has pain in the body, or has a back problem. I don’t know what it is. It happens when the player is given rest, or when workload management is involved. But on both these points, I do not agree here.”
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