Jasprit Bumrah Blasted Once Again Over 'Workload' Row: "What Happens If..."

Former Indian cricket team skipper Mohammad Azharuddin slammed star pacer Jasprit Bumrah for not playing all the games in the five-match Test series against England due to workload management. The BCCI made it clear ahead of the tour that Bumrah will feature in selected matches and he ended up playing in three games. However, Azharuddin was not a fan of the way the team management handled the entire situation and he said that if a player is part of the team, they cannot pick and choose their matches. The former India skipper also asked Bumrah to 'manage it' in such situations.

"If there is an injury issue, then the Board and the player have to decide. However, I feel once you are in the team, you can't pick and choose your matches. There is a workload, but at this level, you must manage it. You are playing for the country. It was a different story that Siraj, along with Prasidh [Krishna] and Akash Deep, rose to the occasion, and we were fortunate that we could win without Bumrah, but what happens if India needs Bumrah badly in a particular situation?" Azharuddin told Mid-day.

India registered a stunning win the fifth Test match to level the series 2-2 against England under the leadership of Shubman Gill. It was a brilliant result for the youngster who was captaining India for the first time and Azharuddin praised how the team backed him and came up with brilliant performances.

"At the start of the tour, many were apprehensive of new captain Gill, but in the end, this young team came out with flying colours. The batters did a very good job, particularly Shubman, KL Rahul and [Ravindra] Jadeja. Gill has started his tenure as captain on a high note," the former India captain added.

Topics mentioned in this article

Mohammad Azharuddin Jasprit Bumrah Mohammed Siraj India Cricket Team England Cricket Team Cricket