Jeff Thomson's frank assessment on Jasprit Bumrah's injury woes: "If I was playing now, it would have been very hard to play Test matches"

Former Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson has opined that Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah will have to prioritize the formats of the game he wants to play. According to Thomson, unlike players of his generation, current cricketers need to balance workloads because they cannot ignore the amount of money that white-ball cricket offers.

Having made his international debut in 2016, Bumrah quickly rose to become Team India’s lead pacer across all three formats. However, he has been laid low by injuries and fitness issues over the last few months.

The 29-year-old last represented India in a T20I against Australia in September 2022 in Hyderabad. He was initially named in the Men in Blue’s 15-member T20 World Cup 2022 squad, but was subsequently replaced by Mohammad Shami.

Sharing his frank views on the Indian fast bowler’s injury woes, Thomson said on the Backstage with Boria show:

"Well, he has to prioritize what formats he wants to play. Whether he wants to play white ball cricket or test cricket or both. If I was playing now, it would have been very hard to play Test matches because you get so much money in the short version of the game.

“We didn't have to think about money in our days because there was no money. Now it's a huge business. You got to work out how long I am going to play for. I think you have to be more cunning in terms of workload and what you got to play. If you are good enough, you will be picked."

Bumrah, who initially impressed for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has represented India in 30 Tests, 72 ODIs and 60 T20Is, claiming 319 international scalps.

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Jasprit Bumrah fitness update

According to a report in The Times of India, Bumrah has started bowling in the nets at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where he's currently recuperating.

The report added that if the fast bowler doesn't feel any discomfort in his back, he could be picked for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. A source was quoted as saying:

"Yes, Bumrah has started bowling in the nets. Let's hope all goes well and he's declared fit.”

While the Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicks off in Nagpur on February 9, the third Test begins in Dharamshala on March 1.