TimesofIndia.com in Gqeberha: As modern cricket calendars become increasingly congested, with international series and T20 leagues coming thick and fast, the conversation around bowlers’ workload management has never been more relevant. Much of it, from an Indian cricket perspective, has focused on Jasprit Bumrah.
During the tour of Australia, Bumrah bowled 151.2 overs, which was 24.4% of all the balls bowled by India’s bowlers in the five-match series. In the fifth Test, at the SCG, Bumrah was taken away with a back spasm and was unable to bowl upon returning.
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In the aftermath, India men’s team selector Ajit Agarkar revealed he’s been told to off-load for five weeks. As a result, Bumrah didn’t feature in the T20Is against England and his name has been taken off the squad for the three ODIs as well. Subsequently, he’s reported to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru where he will undergo scans to determine whether he will play the ICC Champions Trophy.
Ex-South Africa allrounder Vernon Philander, who took 224 Tests wickets during a 64-match career, admitted asking a bowler to rest “is a difficult chat”.
“I think he’s really set the standard. He’s a phenomenal bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. I think his skill set, the ability to shift his pace up and down, he’s just been a wonderful asset for the game,” said the SA20 commentator in Gqeberha.
“It’s more about the Indian team, how they manage him. I would say, you look at a guy like Jasprit Bumrah, and you want him to be playing all the key series, all the key tournaments. So they have to manage his workload in between tournaments.
“Obviously, with IPL coming up, you want a player like that to be available for most games, but therein lies the trick. How do you manage him throughout the IPL season? Because there’s plenty of games as a player. And overall, I mean if you look at the amount of games that India play, over the calendar year, that load is quite massive.
“So I would say you perhaps want to look at playing him in all the main fixtures, and (against) the ‘so-called lesser teams’, you give other bowlers an opportunity. But again, it’s such a tough chat to have, because as a bowler, you want to go out there, there’s records to be broken, so you want to keep playing,” explained Philander.
Speaking about the challenges bowlers face, Philander highlighted the finite nature of a fast bowler’s body and the importance of managing their bowling loads strategically. “You only have X amount of balls in your body,” he said. “And you want to make sure that you deliver those balls at the right time, at the right competition.”
With the ICC Champions Trophy on the horizon, starting on February 19 in Pakistan and UAE, Philander noted that managing players for marquee events would be a “massive talking point.”
Philander factored the importance of recovery and the role of fitness trainers and physiotherapists in guiding workload management.
“I think it’s (workload management) such a valuable topic. With games coming thick and fast, you have to make sure that you look after your body. I think recovery is massively important.
“Also from a bowling load management point of view, I think your fitness trainers as well as your physios, they will have to guide the conversation in terms of what’s allowed for a particular player.
“Even when we were playing, what’s a good number? Where do you find the break to rest? In the modern day calendar, there’s almost not that (much) time to rest, but it’s a difficult conversation to have. From a management and player management point of view, it’s a much needed shift,” acknowledged Philander who represented South Africa for 13 years.