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Australian legend Glenn McGrath feels Jasprit Bumrah has plenty of cricket left in him despite his recent fitness issues. McGrath, who was also a pacer himself, called the Indian spearhead a 'spring chicken' and urged him to preserve his career by limiting his workload.

 

The Indian fast bowling attack has been plagued by injury since international cricket recommenced post-IPL. Bumrah is unlikely to be fit for the next Test series against Sri Lanka, while Prince Yadav was injured on the Zimbabwe tour and Mayank Yadav has just returned after a two-year absence.

 

In the presence of a heavy international schedule, the Indian team management has used a policy of rotating its fast bowlers in order to maintain their freshness and avoid injuries.

 

McGrath supports Bumrah in taking control of their own destiny.

 

While speaking at the MRF Pace Foundation, McGrath opined, It should be up to Jasprit Bumrah to decide what he wants from his future.

 

McGrath said :

 

"Again, it's his call on how he wants to go about it."What age is Bumrah at now? 31- 32? He's only a spring chicken. So he's got to find a way to make himself last for a bit." 

 

 The famous Australian legend added :

 

"He called time on his test career, and maybe that's the best thing to do right now. If he feels he can play for as long as he wants in all formats, then maybe he should," Been some injuries, but he's class. Quality bowler. Just watch what he plans to do.

 

He further said :

 

"That's what it boils down to: if he wants to concentrate on Test cricket or if he simply wants to be a T20 specialist. The other thing is that, of course, it all depends on his frame. And as I also said, guys that hyper-extend their arm do tend to put a little more strain through that joint in the process. Time will tell."

 

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McGrath believes the fast bowling needs to be strengthened.

 

On the subject of how fast bowlers are thought of in today's game, McGrath also expressed his perspective. He seems to want bowlers to be much more powerful and muscular rather than kept too safe while rehabilitating.

 

This is the nature of the fast bowler. It's not a natural motion, and injuries are part of the game, he said.

 

McGrath said:

 

One thing that I am a bit frustrated by these days (though it probably has been for a long time) is that fast bowlers and cricketers in general get put in cotton wool. We attempt to get them back to full health, and we care for them.)

 

As McGrath notes, long periods of rehabilitation can result in the bowlers' fitness and strength losing ground.

 

The best way to do it is to get stronger than the stresses of fast bowling. Doing a rehab program for so long puts your fitness and your strength so far behind that you've got so far to catch up.

 

Looking back at his career, McGrath explained that a side strain was when "that made me realise I needed to get stronger." He praised trainer Kevin Chevell for easing the burden on his fitness.

 

McGrath Concluded :

 

"Getting bigger and fitter doesn't mean bowling hours in the nets or working on incorrect aspects in the gym," 

 

I was physically stronger than the stresses of fast bowling and hardly ever got injured. So rather than wrapping him in cotton wool, we should actually be creating an indestructible figure working hard.

 

While McGrath may give advice based on his own successful career, fast bowlers today have a much more demanding International schedule now, with franchise leagues and a busy International calendar. The Indian ODI rotation policy is an attempt to spread out the workload to stay in shape, especially for a special bowler like Bumrah, whose action puts more strain on his body by nature.