'If Ashes is there, will Cummins still manage his workload?' - Irfan Pathan compares Jasprit Bumrah's situation

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has recently addressed the red-hot topic of workload management by citing Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins. A lot of discussion has surrounded the workload management of cricketers in the recent past, however, the one surrounding Bumrah has been keeping the fans of Indian cricket curious about what the future holds for the Gujarat bowler.

The former India all-rounder commented that Bumrah should be looked after with the utmost of care and that no questions on workload management should arise in the middle of a series (referencing to the recent talks in the midst of the England series). Irfan compared Bumrah's situation to that of Pat Cummins, hinting that there is a lot to learn from Bumrah's Australian counterpart when it comes to preserving one's body. 

"Jasprit Bumrah is a treasure for the Indian team. It’s important to take proper care of him, but once a series begins, the discussion around workload management should not be brought up. Thinking about workload management in the middle of a series will not yield the desired results. Pat Cummins, on the other hand, has already begun managing his workload. He will miss a few series in the lead-up to the Ashes. But once the Ashes begins, will Pat Cummins still manage his workload, or will he go all-out for the series?," stated Irfan via a media interaction with Sony Sports Network.

For the unversed, it was already announced prior to the five-match series between England and India that Bumrah will play only three matches on the tour. There was a large flux of criticism pointed towards the Indian management and Bumrah for the latter's pick-and-choose methodology. A lot of discussion was also pointed towards how Bumrah devotes his all to Mumbai Indians across almost every IPL season.

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Bumrah has been included in the 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. The frontline pacer for the Men in Blue last played a T20I in June 2024, during India's title-winning T20 World Cup campaign. Bumrah's last appearance in ODIs was in November 2023 during the World Cup, where the Rohit Sharma-led side ended as runners-up.