Jasprit Bumrah gets ultimatum from BCCI selector: 'Don’t play at all if you’re...'

Former India chief selector and captain, Dilip Vengsarkar, has lashed out at the premier right-arm quick, Jasprit Bumrah, for not playing all five Test matches in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Dilip Vengsarkar blasted Jasprit Bumrah over his workload management plans and stated that the fast bowler should not be allowed to play any Test match if he is unfit.

Jasprit Bumrah's 'Three Tests' Demand Approved By BCCI

Before the start of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, announced that Jasprit Bumrah would only be available for three out of five Tests in England.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Bumrah had himself requested the BCCI to consider him only for three Tests because of his frequent injury issues, with the latest one occurring after playing five back-to-back Test matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Jasprit Bumrah had revealed that the medical team had told him to be very cautious in managing his workload to avoid any further back injuries in the future.

The pace spearhead featured in the first and third Test matches against England, which India lost by 5 wickets and 22 runs at Headingley in Leeds and Lord's in London.

He registered the brilliant figures of 5/83 & 0/57 in the Leeds Test and 5/74 & 2/38 in the Lord's Test. In the third Test match, he even contributed with the bat, scoring 5 off 54 while chasing when India had lost 8 wickets. Meanwhile, India won the second Test against England by 336 runs when Bumrah was rested.

I’m not in favour of bowlers picking and choosing Test matches - Dilip Vengsarkar

Speaking to RevSportz, the legendary Dilip Vengsarkar bluntly opposed the idea of Jasprit Bumrah being allowed to be selective about playing the matches. He labelled the world-class pacer's unavailability for the Edgbaston Test as unacceptable. Dilip Vengsarkar said:

"I’m not in favour of bowlers picking and choosing Test matches. If you’re fit and available, you should play all the matches for your country. Bumrah is a world-class bowler, and he can win matches for India. But once you’re on tour, you need to play every match. There’s no question of selecting matches based on personal preference.

Also Read: Sole culprit! Stuart Broad completely blames Yashasvi Jaiswal for India’s loss in the Lord’s Test

"What is important is playing for India and if you are unfit, then don’t play at all. He had a gap of almost 7-8 days after the first Test match, but still was not included for the second Test which was not acceptable. Maybe it was acceptable for Agarkar and Gambhir."

Jadeja should have taken some risks - Dilip Vengsarkar

Ravindra Jadeja played an unbeaten knock of 61 runs off 181 balls in the Lord's Test on Day 5 and built crucial partnerships with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, but was unable to guide India to a win.

Speaking of the heartbreaking loss, Dilip Vengsarkar said that the senior all-rounder Jadeja should have taken more risk while batting. He stated:

"It’s extremely unfortunate and disappointing. I believe we should have won the Lord’s Test. The team fought hard till the very end, but I feel Jadeja should have taken some risks.

"Of course, that’s something we can only say in hindsight. But if there had been one more partnership, I believe we would have won the game."