Reports | Selectors face Jasprit Bumrah selection dilemma after conflicting fitness reports
The Indian selectors are reportedly in a fix after the National Cricket Academy (NCA) refused to conduct fitness tests for India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. It is believed that earlier, physio Nitin Patel and trainer Nick Webb had given Bumrah a go-ahead to return to competitive cricket.
All is not well in the Indian camp as the ongoing conflict between the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and Jasprit Bumrah’s camp has reportedly left the Indian selectors in a fix. The NCA, on Friday, refused to conduct fitness test for the pacer citing Bumrah consulting his own specialists in the UK as the reason for their refusal, and as per protocols, the selectors needs to get confirmation from both BCCI and NCA before going ahead and picking the player.
But now, in an interesting revelation, Times of India have reported that the Indian team management - comprising physio Nitin Patel and trainer Nick Webb - had given Bumrah a go-ahead to return to competitive cricket, with them believing that the 26-year-old was fit enough to play both Ranji Trophy and the three-match T20I series versus Sri Lanka that will start in the first week of January. And now, with the selectors set to announce the squad for the Lanka series around Christmas, they face a huge dilemma due to the conflicting reports from the two parties.
"When Bumrah trained with the Indian team in Vizag, the physio told him that he is good enough to start playing for Gujarat if the players wanted to,” a source close to the team told TOI.
“The support staff also felt that the Sri Lanka series, if not the ODIs against Australia later, could be used to get him back into the groove before touring New Zealand later in January. Bhuvneshwar Kumar too was cleared after he attended a couple of sessions with the team during the Bangladesh Test in Indore last month," the source added.
A source close to Bumrah, however, is hopeful of the two parties clearing the air out sooner rather than later and also hopes that the pace stalwart can make his return to the international circuit as soon as possible. He also reaffirmed the fact that the BCCI were always kept in the loop - from his surgery to his recovery.
“BCCI had arranged his surgery in UK. Patel had largely overseen his recovery. It's not that BCCI was kept out of loop. It's just that the players are cagey about the facilities NCA, that's why Bumrah avoided it. Hopefully, the differences can be sorted out soon and Bumrah can be eased in to competitive cricket soon," the source said.