Bumrah is a good T20 bowler but beyond that I don't know: Aaqib Javed

03/03/2016

Former Pakistani fast bowler Aaqib Javed feels that Jasprit Bumrah will struggle with injuries due to his bowling action and expressed his doubts about Bumrah's ability to make it big beyond the shortest format of the game. Aaqib has also opened up on his stance on Mohammad Amir's return.

"Bumrah's action is his main problem. During loading, this kind of action puts enormous strain on the back. This is an injury-prone action. With this kind of action, I don't see him playing 10 years of injury-free international cricket," Aaqib Javed told PTI ahead of the clash between India and UAE in the Asia Cup.

The 43-year-old insisted that Bangladeshi pacers Mustafizur Rahaman and Taskin Ahmed are more talented than Bumrah, and that he cannot foresee the Indian youngster succeeding in the longer formats of the game.

"Mustafiz and Taskin are both 20-year-olds and look at their quality. Taskin regularly hits 145 kmph mark and Mustafiz has such amazing variations. Bumrah at best is a fast medium bowler and team expects him to get a wicket or two and hurl a few in the blockhole at the death. Now that will make him a good Twenty20 bowler but beyond that I don't know," Aaqib added.

The UAE coach also blamed poor injury management and training for the fitness concerns of the likes of Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav.

"India for the first time in their history produced four genuine fast bowlers in Umesh, Aaron, Ishant and Shami. Now where are they? Injury management has always been an issue with bowlers from these parts. Breakdown happens due to lifestyle, wrong training.

"But when I hear that Umesh is inconsistent, I get baffled. I mean if someone has genuine ability to bowl quick, how much time it takes to correct the line and length? At the most 3-6 months. Not a day more than that if you are sincere and attentive. If anyone tells me that Umesh, if told to land on a particular spot can't do after being told repeatedly, then I think there is some problem with either his intent or his coach's ability to make him understand," Aaqib explained.

India had to go back to Ashish Nehra due to the lack of options, and the veteran has performed exceedingly well since his return. However, Aaqib Javed feels that Nehra is only a short-term solution, and that he will struggle to replicate this form in ODIs due to lack of fitness.

"What do you need to do in a T20? Just bowl 24 deliveries and field for 16 overs. You don't need any extra-ordinary fitness for playing T20. Ashish has experience and that's helping him. But I believe, he will struggle even in 50 overs leave aside days' cricket," he said.

When asked about his stance on the explosive return of Mohammad Amir, Aaqib said, "Forgiving or not forgiving is a different issue. That he has been forgiven is the reason he is again playing the game and people are getting entertained.

"Okay let's move on and give him a chance.

"What he showed in the past few matches, I am feeling so bad. In five years, he has missed 200 Test wickets and should have been leading Pakistan attack by now. He will in any case lead Pakistan attack for next 10 years.

"But had he not lost those five years, there was a possibility that he might have surpassed Wasim Akram with his qualities..”