Need to prioritise format of global event played in that particular year: Bumrah on workload issue

PTI, Jul 13, 2022, 12:16 PM IST

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah admitted that it is ”difficult to manage workload” across three formats and that’s why preference during a particular year is on the format in which India is playing a global event.

Bumrah, who demolished England with career-best ODI figures of 6 for 19 in the opening game, made it clear that emphasis during this year is on T20 World Cup in Australia which is only three months away.

”It’s a combination and it’s not just about matches you pick. Like in a World Cup year, what is the format (T20 this year) that I need to give more priority and if it’s a World Test Championship final year, the emphasis is on Test cricket,” Bumrah said after India’s thumping 10-wicket win in the first ODI.

While the Indian team’s calender has been choc-a-bloc, Bumrah understands that it is due to a lot of series that were pending due to COVID-19-related cancellations in 2020 and 2021.

”You have to check the calendar. We had missed a lot of series due to COVID in 2020-21 and so we are playing a lot of cricket back-to-back. So you need a lot of awareness and you discuss with trainers, physios, and management how you can keep yourself in the best frame of mind when you are not playing any series,” Bumrah said.

While he would be taking a break during the ODIs in the West Indies, Bumrah gave an idea as to how he manages his workload, having already played a Test, a T20I, and a 50-over game all in a space of a week. ”It is difficult to manage workloads in all three formats. Only maybe five days back we were playing Test cricket and then played T20 and now we are playing ODIs, so mental adjustment is needed,” he said.

”You need to remain fresh and you need to take care of your body. At times, you have to sleep even for 9 or 10 hours more than the usual 8 hours of sleep. Recovery is very important as fast-bowling is a strenuous job and takes its toll on the body.” But this aspect of cricket is something that everyone who is playing professional cricket needs to accept.

”No complaints as we are professional cricketers, who had dreamt of playing for India. So we have to put our best foot forward, there is traveling involved and the challenge is to remain fresh and control the controllable,” he said.

”I respect opinions but don’t take them seriously”

Just like his skipper Rohit Sharma, Bumrah also believes in ”shutting the outside noise”.

”Not making things too complicated and shutting the outside noise has worked for me. I don’t get buoyed by praise nor do I get bogged down by criticism. ”I respect what people (experts) have to say but I don’t take them seriously– good or bad,” Bumrah said when asked how he feels about former England skipper Nasser Hussain terming him the world’s ”best all-format bowler” at the moment.

For him, ”maintaining a balance” is important.

”I live in the present because there is a lot of outside noise, your mind can be cluttered by a lot of opinions and it can create confusion.

”So, it is important to stick to one’s evaluation about own’s self, — stay focussed on own preparation and tick all boxes required, if you do that — like take care of your fitness, diet and whatever is within your control and the process you follow, then you accept the results (good or bad) you get, that gives stability.” ”Have been occasions when I have bowled better”

He was outstanding in seamer-friendly conditions at the Oval on Tuesday but Bumrah isn’t overjoyed as he understands that there could be days when even his best efforts might go in vain.

”See, I don’t look at results and judge myself. There have been occasions where I have bowled so much better than this and not gotten wickets but I always follow the same routine.” It did help that the white Kookaburra ball swung both ways during the entire duration of the England innings.

”Yes, today was a day when the white ball swung and there was some seam movement as I wanted to exploit that. After we started the innings, I had a conversation with (Mohammed) Shami Bhai that we should go a little fuller and try and bowl the Test match length,” Bumrah revealed.

For Bumrah, cricket is a great leveler and on Thursday when India plays at the Lord’s, it will again be a start from ”zero”.

”The beauty of cricket is that on a given day, you might try anything and it works out for you. But there will be days when everything you try doesn’t work and that’s why you need to remain stable as every day is a new day.” ”I look to keep a balanced head and try and look for things that have worked for me before, keep that in mind and make those mental notes whenever you start fresh.”