West Indies’ fast-bowling great Ian Bishop is amazed about how India’s speedster Jasprit Bumrah generates pace from short run-ups.
“I grew up on the history of the game and coming through, I had this whole concept of a fast bowler as someone with a long flowing run; someone like Wes Hall, Sir Richard Hadlee, Dennis Lillee, the Marshalls, the Holdings, so on and so forth. And Jasprit is exactly the opposite: it is a stuttering, short run,” Bishop told Cricbuzz.
“Until today, I’m amazed as to where the pace comes from. And he has got a serious skill set. The way he swung the ball in the Caribbean, for example, and the way he can up his pace and still apply control to it.
“And then when I hear him speak about the game and break the game down, there I see a generational talent. Once he can stay fit, he is an entire package,” he added.
Earlier, another Windies fast-bowling great Michael Holding had expressed his doubts about Bumrah’s fitness if the latter keeps generating pace from short run-ups.
The Gujarat-born speedster Bumrah made his ODI and T20I debut in 2016 with a Test call-up coming in 2018. The 26-year old is now regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the business with 104 wickets in 64 ODIs and 68 scalps in just 14 Test matches.
Notably, number 2 ODI bowler Bumrah has been under the scanner post his return from a stress fracture. The bowler has not been at his usual best in the matches post his most recent injury.