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Some reports said Bumrah was targeting the third ODI against England but the BCCI didn’t add him in the team when they included spinner Varun Chakaravarthy on Tuesday.
Jasprit Bumrah hasn’t played in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup. (AFP Photo)
Pakistan’s interim head coach Aaqib Javed said India should be worried about the fitness of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah ahead of their premier clash in the upcoming Champions Trophy, set to happen in Dubai on February 23
Bumrah injured his back last December and has been out since. The assessments are ongoing but there’s no clarity on when he can be back or if he’ll be there with the team for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which begins soon after the England ODIs on February 19.
“They should be worried about Bumrah’s fitness. When you play in the Champions Trophy, the most beautiful thing about it is you can’t take any team lightly. The top eight best teams are playing. If any team has a bowler like Bumrah, it is a plus point. But it is not like we will plan everything around him,” Aaqib told reporters on Wednesday.
Some reports said he was targeting the third ODI against England but the BCCI didn’t add him in the team when they included spinner Varun Chakaravarthy on Tuesday.
For the next 24 hours, India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir will be anxiously awaiting the results of scans star pacer Jasprit Bumrah underwent at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
“Obviously, we are waiting on some update about his scan and stuff which was due to happen in the next few days. Once we get that scan, we will be able to give you more clarity on where he is,” Rohit had said ahead of the first ODI.
Speaking about Pakistan though, much has also been said about the selections of Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah into Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad when the two haven’t seemingly garnered many notable performances to be eligible for selection in the eight-team tournament.
“It’s not right to make changes based on the performances of two matches and therefore it will most likely be the same team for the Champions Trophy. And when you look into it specifically that you have three pool matches against New Zealand, India and Bangladesh, you need top seven batters with four bowling options, including two all-rounders.
“Both Faheem and Khushdil are better choices to play in the sub-continent conditions as compared to Australia or South Africa,” added Aaqib, who’s also functioning as the team’s chief selector.
