I will be happy if I become 50 percent of the bowler Jasprit Bumrah is: Naveen-ul-Haq

Jasprit Bumrah is arguably the finest fast bowler going around and his numbers across formats are nothing short of staggering. Be it restricting the run flow or taking wickets in crucial junctures, the Indian speedster is a captain’s delight at any stage of the game. Owing to the same, many fast bowlers aim to replicate Bumrah’s heroics over the 22 yards.

Young Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq also belongs to that category. Expressing his admiration for the ace bowler, Naveen said he would be satisfied even if he became half the bowler Bumrah has been during his career. He also lauded the Indian pace spearhead for maintaining a cool demeanor even during tough situations on the field.

Jasprit Bumrah is such a cool and calm customer of the game: Naveen-ul-Haq

“I admire him as a bowler. Such a cool and calm customer of the game. The way he carries himself even in the toughest of situations is a great example to learn from. I will be glad if I even become 50 percent of the bowler he is. He is simply terrific,” the 22-year-old said in a conversation with News9.

Interestingly, Naveen’s bowling action resembles a lot with Bumrah. The same earned him a lot of attention in the T20 World Cup 2021. While many believe the Afghan pacer has modeled his action seeing the Indian pacer, Naveen said the resemblance is just a coincidence.

 

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“Even I didn’t know I had a similar bowling action to Jasprit Bumrah. Before this T20 World Cup, no one had pointed this out. You know the similar load-up or the hyperextension. It was during the match that I saw it on the big screen that our bowling action was being compared and I was like ‘wow!’, there is indeed some similarity,” asserted the young bowler.

“After that match, people started to ask me about it. I feel the bowling action comes naturally. But the similarity is completely a coincidence,” he added. Meanwhile, the young pacer didn’t enjoy a fruitful time in the T20 World Cup 2021. While he impressed experts with some of his skills, consistency was an issue for him. He managed to pick up five wickets in as many games with his economy rate being over 9.