'I suspect he could be more vulnerable to injury problems' - Richard Hadlee on Jasprit Bumrah's unorthodox action

Right since his debut in 2016, Jasprit Bumrah has gone on to lead India’s pace attack and has often won games on his own with his game-changing spells. Spotted first by John Wright of Mumbai Indians in the year 2012, Bumrah was a product of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and was fast-tracked to the international level by impressing one and all with his unique short run-up action.

Bumrah was handed his Test cap during India’s away tour of South Africa and since then has picked up 83 wickets, the majority of which came overseas during India’s tours to Australia, West Indies and New Zealand.  The pacer will undoubtedly be one of the key players alongside skipper Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin when India takes the field against New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship final (WTC). On June 18.

Legendary allrounder Richard Hadlee shared his thoughts on Bumrah’s unorthodox technique and spoke about his longevity in cricket.

“Jasprit fits into the unorthodox bowling category with virtually no run up to the crease. His technique, in some ways, defies belief but has proved to be a highly effective one. He is what I call a shoulder or strength bowler with all his power and pace coming from the final part of his action as he releases the ball,” said Hadlee in an interview with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Hadlee fears Jasprit Bumrah’s unusual action may cause him injuries in the longer run

“Jasprit’s longevity in the game is yet to be determined. I suspect he could be more vulnerable to injury problems than those fast bowlers with more classical and pure actions or techniques.”

Hadlee is unsure of how long Bumrah could play with his difficult action and warned him about the injuries due to such bowling style. Talking about the WTC final, Bumrah will be leading India’s pace attack along with Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Siraj, Umesh Yadav, and Shardul Thakur.

“Some of his potential injuries could be severe because of the stresses and strains he places on his body. I hope any injuries he may incur will not be potentially career-ending because he is a delight to watch, and he causes batsmen all sorts of problems with his unsuspecting pace, bounce, and ball movement in the air and off the pitch,” added Hadlee.