Jasprit Bumrah gets former chief selectors' backing in workload management debate: 'If the doctor tells me that...'

Jasprit Bumrah has been facing a lot of flak for missing two matches in the recent five-Test series in England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, including the series finale at The Oval where Team India had arrived with the series on the line.

A number of former cricketers including batting great Sunil Gavaskar and all-rounder Sandeep Patil have been critical of Bumrah’s workload management, which has been in place ever since the pacer suffered a back injury in Australia in January.

‘They are the better judges’

At the same time, there are also those who have come out in the 31-year-old speedster’s support, including former bowling coach Bharat Arun and fellow pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. On Monday, former pacer as well as chief selector Chetan Sharma joined the chorus supporting Bumrah, stating that the advice of the physio and other members of the medical team needed to be taken seriously as they are the better judges.

“If the medical team advises, if the doctor tells me that I have to take antibiotics, then I have to consume them. If our physios is telling a player to manage workload, I think we should listen to them because they are the better judges,” Sharma told PTI.

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Sharma expresses faith in Agarkar and Co

However, Sharma, who had served as the BCCI chief selector from 2020 to 2023, also expressed faith in the current selection committee that’s lead by former all-rounder Ajit Agarkar, stating that they will pick the “best” team for the Asia Cup that takes place in the UAE next month.

“I know that whoever is selected will be the best for the country. And the kind of cricket we are playing right now, I’m really proud with the way India played in England. And I’m very confident that we are definitely going to win the Asia Cup (to be played in T20 format) because soon after that we are playing the T20 World Cup (in 2026) in India,” Sharma added.