Happy birthday Kapil Dev Paaji, here is hoping Jasprit Bumrah can match your longevity

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Happy birthday Kapil Dev. Memories come back in a torrent, not a trickle, recalling all that you did for Indian cricket. As winning captain of the 1983 World Cup, and whatever more you achieved for India in plenty, everything stays intact.

And as a mature man today at 65, each word you speak carries so much weight, be it your passion, golf or even the way you praised Syed Kirmani at his book launch in Bengaluru recently.

For those fortunate to have watched Kapil Dev in flesh and blood turn into a true all-rounder, every bit about is historic. Forget stats, runs, wickets and fielding. Kapil Dev was a natural cricketer and is a fantastic human being. He is part of the 1983 squad, even now. This is most defining at a time when social media runs campaigns for and against Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Kapil has been very smart in life. How many would know, much before the Indian Premier League began, he had conceived the Indian Cricket League. That it (ICL) did not last is because the BCCI felt threatened. Of course, people need to be told that it was not Lalit Modi who pioneered club cricket culture based on the franchise model in T20 but Kapil Dev. If public memory is short, so be it. At least, when people talk of pantheons in Indian cricket, Kaps is still right up there.

Proof of it is how the class of 1983 still meets every June in New Delhi. This is what defines Kapil as a wonderful human being, a friend and someone who has no airs. Of course, Kapil is also good to talk to vis a vis golf, since Indian cricket has become so toxic these days. There are gas fumes, and even the coach Gautam Gambhir comes across as caustic, not a leader who will help those in trouble.

When Kapil Dev played his last international match at nearly 35, he was unfit. His knee had given away, for all the efforts he had put in for India. To bowl tirelessly like a machine was important as there was no other Indian fast bowler who could match Kapil in intensity and skills. That Indian cricket has not used the services of Kapil Dev is a reflection of how the system works. Kaps does not mind it, he has nothing to prove. If anything, he is more than happy to swing the golf clubs and master the greens.

Cut to present, see how Jasprit Bumrah's back 'broke down.' He spoke of how one cannot fight the body, such a truthful statement made on Sunday in Sydney. Boom Boom Bumrah will realise, he is needed as a star performer forever. He was flogged mercilessly, with zero workload management. Yet, Bumrah can take solace from the fact he is just 31. He can pull on for a few more years, just that he has to manage his workload.

Someone like Kapil Dev could have walked into any side even just as a batsman. Bumrah does not have that same skill, though. Fans value Kapil Dev for his legacy. At the same time, fans love Bumrah for being a superhuman. The entire coaching staff and BCCI should be blamed for his current state. There was no monitoring of Bumrah's load. We all know how much he bowled in these five Tests. Does the BCCI have data on Bumrah, how much he bowled at nets and what was the rest given? We don't know.

This is in sharp contrast to what the cricket boards of Australia and England did with their star players in the IPL. A Pat Cummins workload in the IPL was not just about four overs in each match. MyKhel understands how much he bowled in nets is also monitored by the Aussie board on a day-to-day basis. The same for Englishmen as well. Their boards want their players to be fit for internationals as well as the Ashes.

Sadly, Gautam Gambhir did not speak a word to detail how serious Bumrah's injury is. For that matter, even Rohit Sharma used Bumrah like a stock bowler. Way ahead, preserve Bumrah when he bounces back, not 20 overs a day in a Test match. He should not be treated like a mule which has no choice. Workload management and BCCI, it's a laughing stock. On Kapil Dev's birthday, let's hope Bumrah can ensure longevity like Paaji. It would be a dream come true. Both these fast bowlers are legends and will remain so special each day to all of us.