Jasprit Bumrah is recovering well from the recent back surgery he underwent in New Zealand. However, the pace bowler will not be rushed into any professional cricket until the 2023 ODI World Cup gets closer.
The tournament — scheduled to get underway in the first week of October this year — will mark the return of a fully-fit Bumrah and the “big picture”, right now, is to ensure the longevity of the bowler’s career. That remains the top priority and not immediate gains.
The star pacer had last played for India in September last year.
With little over six months remaining for the 2023 World Cup, none of the stakeholders – the Indian management, BCCI, his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians and the medical team managing Bumrah’s rehab – are convinced they want to take any chances whatsoever. The 29-year-old will not be considered for the fixtures preceding the 50-over marquee event and none of the stakeholders are willing to risk or compromise the long-term goal of having a fit Bumrah back in the middle.
“We are not looking at next four-five months; our goal is the next four-five years. Everyone is on the same page with regard to Bumrah. No one wants to take any chance now with him. He will not be rushed for any matches before the World Cup. That is the one and only goal for Bumrah right now. He will undergo long rehab and we are confident he will be fit in time for the World Cup,” a source tracking Bumrah’s developments closely told News18 CricketNext.
Long term goal
Bumrah, when completely fit, is an asset to the Indian cricket team across formats and the Indian cricket board wants to wrap him in cotton wool and ensure the rehab goes per plan.
The World Cup and the next ICC Test Championship cycle, which features plenty of away tours, is on their mind as of now.
This rules Bumrah out of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), the World Test Championship final against Australia and the Asia Cup. The right-armer has already missed the T20 World Cup last year and the high-profile home Test series against Australia.
“Who wouldn’t want Bumrah to play all cricket for India this year? Everyone does but we need to be practical in our approach and do what is best for Bumrah and Indian cricket. All we want is to have him complete the rehab and not be distracted by any other thoughts. We have already entered crucial few years for Indian cricket and the next cycle of WTC continues to hold a lot of importance,” says an official aware of the plan laid out for Bumrah.
Lessons from the past
Over the last 6-8 months, there were desperate efforts to get Bumrah back on to the field. The seamer was originally named in India’s squad for T20 World Cup, did turn up for two T20Is vs Australia in September but then missed the T20Is vs South Africa due to back troubles and further assessment at NCA revealed the serious nature of his injury.
News18 CricketNext has learnt that no such measure will be adopted for Bumrah now and he will continue with his rehabilitation without any comeback noise. A proper roadmap, dominated by a lot of rest and rehab, has been laid out and the seamer will be under pressure from none of the stakeholders to “rush”.
Even his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians are focussing on the larger picture and understand the importance of a fit Bumrah in the Indian set-up. After undergoing surgery in March, there was no way Bumrah could have played the IPL for MI and the management is aware of the serious nature of Bumrah’s injury.
“The good news is that he has undergone a successful surgery and will now be taking one step at a time and ease into proper bowling fitness. There is no race or rush from any of the stakeholders and everyone wants a fit-again Bumrah back on the field in Indian colours,” the official tracking developments added.
Bumrah’s unusual action, which puts a lot of stress on his back, was going to bite him during some point of his career and now that it has happened when he still has age on his side, the 29-year-old would hope to return stronger and serve Indian cricket for a long time. All the stakeholders are aware of the challenges which are ahead and now want to ensure that Bumrah’s return after the breakdown is an uninterrupted one. For now, it’s the Mission World Cup.
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