Mumbai Indians pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history. Former MI pacer Munaf Patel has opined that Bumrah is not the recipient of the same level of appreciation as batters like Virat Kohli.
Jasprit Bumrah has often been highly regarded as one of the greatest modern-day pacers. Having played a stunning hand for both India and the Mumbai Indians across international and domestic tournaments, Bumrah’s accuracy and efficiency are considered to be unmatchable.
However, recently Jasprit Bumrah has severely lacked form in the ongoing season of the IPL. He has been wicketless despite having played in all four matches for the Mumbai Indians, which is a massive setback for the ace speedster.
Jasprit Bumrah is a star, no doubt, but there is still a difference- Munaf Patel
India’s pace bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in modern-day cricket. However, despite the immense buzz around him, he has not had the widespread impact and stature of legendary batters like Virat Kohli.
Munaf Patel, the former Indian pacer and current pace bowling coach of the Delhi Capitals, offered a candid opinion of the lack of popularity as well as importance for a great bowler when compared to his contemporary batsman.
“How will that happen, sir? Look at Virat Kohli’s popularity and Jasprit Bumrah’s popularity. There is a difference,” Munaf Patel said. “Bumrah is a star, no doubt, but there is still a difference when you compare his popularity with someone like Virat Kohli,” he commented while speaking to TOI Sports’ Bombay Exchange Podcast.
DC coach worried about the lack of speed in India’s next generation of pacers
The conversation soon shifted from individual stardom to a systematic glitch, which has not led to the production of fast bowlers in India. He highlighted that producing bowlers with sheer pace needs some amount of effort to fill the gaps in awareness, training and proper guidance.
“If you ask me to find bowlers who can bowl at 125 kmph, I can bring many. But if you ask for bowlers who can consistently hit 140+, they are very rare,” he explained. “And the reality is, if you bowl 140+, you won’t go unnoticed. There’s almost no chance.
“It’s actually the easiest pathway right now,” he said. “If you are a fast bowler who can hit 135–140+, you can get into the Indian team quickly. But if you bowl at 125, no matter how much you swing the ball, you may not even get picked in IPL auctions,” he added while underlining the paradox in Indian cricket in recent times.
Munaf Patel thrashes Indian institutes like NCA for the lack of fast bowlers
The former Indian star went on to claim that not much has been done at the ground level, as the institutions do not work hard enough to nurture the fast bowlers scientifically. Referring to the facilities like NCA, Munaf emphasized the need for structured training, which would involve coaches, physical trainers, and more who can direct them to increase their pace while also ensuring their bodies endure the load.
“You need to understand how to build that pace, strength, technique, and workload management. Who is teaching that? That’s where the focus should be,” he added.
Munaf’s statements will surely pose a massive question on the future of Indian cricket. The board has been celebrating a world-class talent like Jasprit Bumrah, while they also look to build a sustainable environment for high-quality fast bowlers.
ALSO READ: Nicholas Pooran has a health issue: Irfan Pathan makes shocking claim while slamming LSG star
