Boom goes Bumrah's back

Jasprit Bumrah's back injury flare up could not have come at a worse time. He was supposed to be the pace spearhead of Team India at the ICC World T20 in Australia in October and November, but finds himself out in the cold. And in pain.

Since the time the pace sensation got injured in the fifth Test of an unfinished series in Birmingham this July, Bumrah has been out. These days, when the Indian cricket board (BCCI) does a great job of concealing relevant information, Bumrah being declared unfit for the T20 matches against South Africa came as shocking news.

As it were, the absence of Ravindra Jadeja will hurt team India. In his case, the effective spinner cum useful batsman delayed his knee surgery. The end result was a total breakdown. Just imagine, a team led by an unfit-looking Rohit Sharma will be minus two star bowlers. Fans knew Jadeja would be out for a long period but Bumrah was the key to India's hopes in Australia.

The nightmare that the Asia Cup turned out to be for India in the off-shore venues of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah was a reminder of how important Bumrah is to the side. Agreed, pressing in Arshdeep Singh was a great move in the death overs. The youngster has the mental frame of mind to take on the challenge but is not a match for Bumrah.

To be sure, there is speculation on who will replace Bumrah. Frankly speaking, there can be no replacement for Bumrah. The pace ace has been sensational in his career, though he will be in focus now for all the wrong things. At no point should Bumrah be blamed for the breakdown. The credit, or fault, for this, should be taken by the BCCI.

For a long time, fast bowlers have been flogged to death in India. You can make a mule carry extra burden; it will not crib. The poor animal has to work for a living, like we humans. In the case of Bumrah, questions crop up on workload management, injury management, and if he was given the correct amount of rest.

It is frightening to hear that a few months short of 29, he has a back stress fracture. The nature of injury is such that recovery will take a long time. Rushing Bumrah back for a home series was fraught with risks. But then, the BCCI had no choice. There was no way he could be flown straight to Australia minus match practice. Eventually, the consequences have been disastrous.

In coming weeks, there will be plenty to talk about how the BCCI handled Bumrah. Fast bowlers have to be strong, physically and mentally. The amount of work which goes into chiselling out a fast bowler is like creating a masterpiece on canvas. Countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan are able to produce tearaway fast bowlers because of their physique and gene pool.

We talk of how Pathans are strong. None exemplified it better than Imran Khan Niazi, the former Pakistan fast bowler who eventually evolved into a brilliant all-rounder. Towards the latter part of his career and the end, Imran had become a pure batsman. That's how he led Pakistan to the ODI World Cup win in 1992 in Australia. That Pakistan has produced a battery of fast bowlers after that, with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis enthralling fans, is well known. It was not physique alone which gave them longevity, pace, swing, movement, and the ability to produce those toe-crushing yorkers.

India, too, had produced a fast-bowling legend in Kapil Dev. Kapil defined longevity and grace, and managed to toil alone in an era when he hardly had any back-up in the department of fast bowling. Yes, Madan Lal, Jimmy Amarnath and a few more were part of the 1983 World Cup win. Any talk of Kapil being the greatest fast bowler of India is because of what he achieved in Tests — the most pristine form of cricket with the red ball.

Today, people are pointing fingers at Bumrah's action. Old videos of Pakistani maverick paceman Shoaib Akhtar are again doing the rounds on social media. Nothing wrong with that, really. Shoaib, despite all his glib talk bordering on gibberish, bowled with pace and instilled fear in rival batsmen. Shoaib had spoken about how Bumrah's bowling action could hurt him in the long run.

Well, Shoaib was not the only one to mention this. A few years ago, during a brief interaction with former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, I got to hear how he also felt Bumrah's action was not what coaches would recommend. You can argue that Azhar was a batsman but you cannot doubt his knowledge of cricket and how he is still so fit at this age, in his late 50s.

Fast bowling is a delight to watch. Yet, for someone like Bumrah to have been grinded in all formats — Test, ODI and T20 —was madness. His longevity was going to take a hit. Mind you, he is/was important not just for this ICC World T20. His presence on the field next year when India hosts the ODI World Cup cannot be discounted. Now, there are ifs and buts over Bumrah.

A back stress fracture is serious. It is not to be confused with a back spasm or some muscular injury/flare up. Two fast bowlers of their generation — Dennis Lillee (my idol) and Richard Hadlee — defined the beauty of fast bowling. Both dealt with injuries. At that time, in the 1980s, sports medicine was not so advanced.

Yet, Lillee had no hesitation in taking a break from cricket for 18 months and coming back like a refurbished Rolls Royce. It was Lillee who could do it as he was blessed with determination, guts and a work ethic which bordered on insanity. His book, 'The Art of Fast Bowling', written in the early 80s speaks about what all he did. He measured his body fat with a Vernier Calliper! Later, the Aussie maverick had no hesitation in modifying his bowling action and then coming back to rattle batsmen.

Do not look at mere statistics to define their greatness. His trans-Tasman rival Richard Hadlee, too, dealt with injuries. Hadlee was poetry in motion. But he also dealt with injuries to his knee, hip and a few more parts. Hadlee has spoken about how he had no hesitation in walking up to Lillee and asking him for tips on how to conquer the fitness challenges.

Today, cricketers have access to doctors, physios, sports medicine experts, trainers, bio-mechanics experts and computer simulation for various purposes. It seems none wanted to tell Bumrah to modify his action and how, in the long run, he could face problems. Athletes, by nature, love to conquer challenges. Bumrah will find a way to bounce back but it cannot be time bound.

Probably, in coming months, he can take a call on how much cricket he needs to play and which formats. The IPL is a killer for sure. If he is going to focus on IPL and T20, then he should be ready to be just a white ball bowler. After all, Hardik Pandya has also returned to instant cricket after dealing with back issues. The way he led Gujarat Titans to the title in the IPL was phenomenal.

Bumrah needs to worry about his future. Fans would love to see him bowl in Tests, where he can rattle batsmen with pace and bounce. But if you think he can change his action in a short period of time, it will not be easy. His current action results in a lot of pressure being put on his back and shoulders. Bumrah is still young. He can take the best medical advice from experts abroad.

One prays, he does not need any surgical intervention. Conservative treatment takes time and rehab is of prime importance. Maybe, this is the time he needs to speak to positive people like Kapil Dev — the epitome of longevity and a master model in fast bowling.

And yes, how do we forget Jhulan Goswami, the Chakda Express who signed off from international cricket at The Lords in style. She played till the age of 39 years and 10 months — lasting over two decades as a fast bowler. For the record, she shone like a beacon in ODIs, claiming 255 wickets in 204 matches.

Jhulan has been an inspiration for a whole generation. She played hard cricket, trained like a beast and maintained top fitness. Maybe, towards the end of her career, she would slow down while approaching to bowl. Yet, she made up for all that with passion and the will to deliver.

So, who is Bumrah going to call first? Kapil or Jhulan? Let's wait and see. Talking just to these two legends will provide him plenty of positivity. Sadly, in an age of instant cricket, fans are not bothered about Bumrah's injury. They are discussing other bowling options and how India will perform in the ICC World T20. Sad, isn't it?

Views expressed are personal