Former South Africa captain
AB de Villiers has raised eyebrows over India's decision to reportedly restrict
Jasprit Bumrah to just three Tests in the ongoing five-match series against England. Calling Test cricket the “ultimate form of the game,” de Villiers expressed surprise and suggested India might be mismanaging their premier fast bowler.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 41-year-old Proteas legend made a strong case for Bumrah's full availability, comparing the situation to how South Africa handled the workload of
Dale Steyn.
"He is probably the top bowler in the world in all formats right now," de Villiers said. "In my opinion, this Test series would've been the one to get him ready for all five matches. That's what we did with Dale - rest him in less important T20 and ODI series and have him fully ready for the big Test tours - Australia, England, India."
He questioned whether the decision was influenced by medical advice. "Maybe the surgeon told him he can't play all five. If that's the case, you've got to respect it. But if it's about workload, then I'm not sure they've gone about it the right way," he added.
De Villiers stressed that unless Bumrah is nursing a serious injury, he must feature in the remaining matches. "It doesn't get bigger than a five-Test series against England - other than maybe the WTC final. If he's fit, he must play. If not, I understand the caution."
In a cheeky aside, ABD suggested that India might be bluffing to surprise England. "Maybe it's part of the plan - say he'll miss some games and then play all five. Hopefully, that's the surprise with India 0-1 down."
He also backed India's bench strength: "It's a big opportunity for someone like
Arshdeep Singh or maybe
Kuldeep Yadav to step up."
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