"Jasprit Bumrah Still Has A Lot To Prove": Waqar Younis Not Convinced By India Star In One Format
Waqar Younis doesn't feel Jasprit Bumrah has proven himself in Test cricket yet.
Jasprit Bumrah is among the best players to ever play the game. Fans, not just in India but across the world, speak highly of Bumrah. Even a lot of the current players in Australia, South Africa, England, and other parts of the world rate him at the top. For Pakistan legend Waqar Younis, there is no doubting that Bumrah is the No. 1 bowler in white-ball cricket at present, but he does not feel the pacer is the best in Test cricket.
During a podcast, Younis said that Bumrah still isn't at the pinnacle of the game in red-ball cricket and has a lot to prove.
"There's no modern-day bowler of the same calibre as Bumrah with the white ball. Leave out Test cricket. He still has a lot to prove in Tests. He hasn't played as much. There are plenty of others, like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. You can't ignore some of the English bowlers either. But when you talk about T20 and one-day cricket, I feel that in terms of impact, Bumrah always delivers in crunch scenarios. And that's what matters," Waqar said during a chat on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast.
Bumrah's career in red-ball cricket has been quite limited, initially because of injuries and later due to workload management. Quite often, the pacer would not even get a place in the Indian team when Tests were being played on subcontinent pitches.
Considering how poor his injury record has been, selectors would often rest him ahead of key assignments. Bumrah's injury situation is the reason why he has only played a limited number of Tests for India so far in his career.
Waqar also recalled Bumrah's heroics against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. It was Bumrah's dismissal of Mohammad Rizwan that triggered Pakistan's collapse, and the match ended up falling in India's favour.
"Whenever an Indian captain is in trouble, he always gives the ball to Bumrah. Pakistan had no business losing in New York. The required rate was well under control. That over in which Bumrah dismissed Rizwan proved to be the difference. Impact players are the key players. A top player can motivate others who too feel that we have to match him," Waqar asserted.
Is Waqar Younis's Criticism Fair?
Waqar Younis's assessment highlights the clear conflict that exists in modern-day cricket. On one hand, Waqar's point is valid. Bumrah has played significantly fewer Test matches than contemporaries like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, or James Anderson, primarily due to severe back injuries and strategic workload management.On the other hand, labeling Bumrah as having "a lot to prove" overlooks the extraordinary efficiency and skill that he possesses.
Bumrah boasts one of the lowest Test bowling averages of the modern era and has proven his match-winning capabilities in all conditions, from Australia and England to South Africa and India. While he may lack the total wicket tally of his peers due to playing fewer games, his strike rate and match-transforming spells suggest he is already at the very top of red-ball cricket. Thus, while Waqar's observation regarding sample size is technically fair, dismissing Bumrah's elite standing in Test cricket understates his unmatched quality whenever he takes the field.
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