Srinagar: Australia legend Glenn McGrath has cautioned India pace ace Jasprit Bumrah about his work load and injuries.
McGrath advised Jasprit Bumrah to work harder off the field to prolong his career.
Bumrah sustained a back injury during the final Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 as he was not available to bowl for India in the second innings at SCG, and Australia won the match to reclaim the coveted trophy after a decade.
“He puts more stress on his body than the other bowlers. He has found ways to manage it, but unfortunately not all the time. He has done it before (making a comeback from injury), he will know better than anyone (about) the recovery time, the time in the gym. He is not as young as he used to be, so he has to be smarter about what he does,” McGrath told Times of India.
McGrath further elaborated and compared fast bowling to driving a car and said Bumrah needs to fuel up by working harder off the field.
“He has to work even harder off the field. Being a fast bowler is like driving a car. If you do not top it up with fuel, you are going to run out of fuel sooner or later. My fuel tank was bigger than Jasprit’s because I did not bowl as quickly as him. These guys know how they work at their best. If India are under the pump, they need him,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bumrah is likely to miss the initial rounds of the IPL 2025 matches for Mumbai Indians as the star pacer is still recovering from the lower back injury.