Former Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul has lauded the way India have managed their spearhead bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s professional career, saying that the system built by the BCCI and the management has allowed their pace sensation to perform at the highest level without losing his top-notch effectiveness. He drew comparisons with Pakistan’s approach, where he believes the absence of a proper rotation culture often puts extra pressure on players.

Ahead of the high-octane Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan, the former pacer has hinted that the atmosphere in Pakistan cricket creates fear among senior players, making them rush back even when not fully fit, one of the reasons why many bowlers lose their rhythm and speed after coming back from injuries.

“Unfortunately, in our (Pakistan cricket’s) system, in our culture, the problem is that when we also used to play, any senior player was hesitant. If he’s even 70-80% fit, he would say, ‘I want to play’. This was because if another player comes in and performs, then a rotation policy is not in our culture,” Gul said on Game On Hai, a talk show on Pakistan’s public broadcast service PTV.

“We only look at the performance: this new guy has performed, so bring him in and let him play. So, I think this trust should be developed (in Pakistan cricket culture) and the rotation policy should be there. Your priority should be the senior player when he gets fit, you should play him,” he added.

‘Confidence first priority’

The former pacer stressed that India’s way of resting Bumrah during bilateral series and giving him priority in major tournaments has extended his career and allowed him to come back strong after tricky injuries.

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Bumrah, who played the match against UAE in India’s campaign opener, returned to T20Is after 14 months- having previously played in the T20 World Cup final 2024. Gul said this is an example of how the management, medical staff and the players themselves need to work together to ensure a swift recovery back on the field.

“Players also have a responsibility, so does the management, even your trainers and your medical staff in injuries and rehabs. I think we (Pakistan) have some players who, after their injury, their rehab was not perfect, so their pace which gets lost or goes down a little. So, I think India have a system. Or we say that Bumrah is rested and is only played in World Cup or ICC events,” he explained.

“So, the confidence that our premium bowler will be the first priority when he comes back after being fit,” Gul added, whose cricketing career was also hit by a string of injuries as well.

The comments coming from one of Pakistan’s star pacers, who played 47 Tests, 130 ODIs and 60 T20Is, highlight the difference between the two cricketing systems. While India have been able to rotate players and still deliver positive results, Pakistan’s culture of insecurity and lack of trust in the process has made it harder for them to protect their key players for lengthy duration.

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