Former South African skipper AB de Villiers has voiced his surprise over reports suggesting that Jasprit Bumrah might feature in only three out of the five Tests during India’s tour of England. De Villiers highlighted Test cricket as the pinnacle and cited how South Africa managed Dale Steyn’s workload by resting him from lesser T20Is and ODIs.
He also raised questions about whether Bumrah’s limited participation was advised by his surgeon to help manage his fitness. De Villiers made these remarks on his YouTube channel on Sunday, June 29.
“10:40 – He is probably the top bowler in the world in all formats right now. So, it’s very difficult to decide a way to rest him, but in my opinion, Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game. And this Test series probably would’ve been the one, in my opinion, to get him ready for all five Test matches.”
“That’s how we handled Dale Steyn—by resting him during less crucial T20 and ODI series so he could be fully prepared for major Test series against teams like Australia, England, and India, especially when playing away. Sometimes New Zealand was also included, depending on the rankings at the time.”
“As for Bumrah, I’m not sure if it’s a case of mismanagement or if it’s related to his recent injury comeback. Perhaps the IPL served as a build-up for him, and after consulting with his surgeon, he was advised not to play all five Tests. Ultimately, you have to respect that decision, and it’s Team India’s responsibility to manage him properly.”
AB de Villiers Urges Jasprit Bumrah to Play Remaining Four Tests in England If Fit
The 41-year-old emphasized that Jasprit Bumrah should participate in the remaining four Tests in England, provided he is not dealing with any injury. Speaking during the same discussion, he stated:
“9:01 – India and England series, and that is all to do with Jasprit Bumrah. Will he be playing the 2nd Test match? How many Test matches will he be playing in this Test series? The very big Test series, and I say it like that because I don’t know if it’s a serious injury, and maybe because of the lack of workload coming into this Test series. They are scared of him getting a very bad injury and being out for a few years, or is it managing workload?”
“If it’s the latter, I don’t know if they’ve gone right about this workload management leading up to this huge five-Test match series. It doesn’t get bigger than that, guys, except for maybe the WTC final,” he added.
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