Jasprit Bumrah back injury appears more serious than just a back spasm, BCCI must provide updates

Add as a preferred source on Google

Comments from a few Aussie legends, Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee, further backed up well-known media personality Peter Lalor, has set the cat among the pigeons. This time, it is over the exact nature of Jasprit Bumrah's back injury.

Officially, the only information conveyed was by Prasidh Krishna a day before India lost the Sydney Test in the BGT Series. He had said Bumrah had a 'back spasm.' The fast bowler, who took 32 wickets in the BGT Series, had been over-bowled and the breakdown happened because of zero workload management.

Sadly, we heard no official communication from the BCCI on Sunday, and the chief coach Gautam Gambhir waxed eloquently on how out-of-form cricketers need to return to first-class cricket. The same Gambhir chose not to speak a word on the extent of Bumrah's injury.

The most important Indian bowler who was most defining in 2024 across formats is worth more than a mention. Is a major injury not to be revealed? There is so much speculation on the nature and extent of Bumrah's back injury that the best thing would have been to put out a medical bulletin.

Brett Lee, who himself had so many fitness woes was first to say the injury is serious. The same has been spiced up by Ponting, who knows enough about Indian cricketers. If the SCG had an MRI scan facility, was Bumrah taken to the hospital for a cortisone injection on his back? Anyone who follows sports medicine, injury, pain management and rehab will know a cortisone injection takes 48 hours to act. There was no way Bumrah would have been fit to bowl on Sunday.

MyKhel spoke to physios, former fast bowlers and strength/conditioning experts. Even at Kapil Dev's birthday on Monday in New Delhi, Bumrah's injury was discussed. Unanimous view: "We hope it is not a recurrence of a stress fracture in the back."

Nobody wants to come on record but ready to say the injury is cause for concern. What has also been established is there has been zero workload management. A wire service on Monday put out a wishy-washy story on Bumah's injury, talking of "Grade 1 or 2 injury."

First things first, if it is a muscular/skeletal flare up, then one can talk of Grade 1 or 2. If this is a stress fracture, which could be the worst-case scenario, Bumrah could be out for months. To even speculate on his return to white-ball cricket is bizarre. It smacks of insensitivity and how people look at Bumrah as a machine and not a human.

The lack of information on his injury is as speculative as what happened with Mohammed Shami, who had an Achilles Heel major issue in 2023 during the ICC World Cup in India. He underwent a surgery in Britian and the rehab was long drawn in 2024. There is speculation Shami will be back for white ball cricket against England and possibly the Champions Trophy in Dubai. Fans are hoping Shami can make a comeback and also be ready for the IPL, even though he recently had a knee swelling. Who made him bowl over 40 overs for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy leading to another medical issue is laughable. If the NCA was monitoring him, they never put out proper bulletins.

The same with Bumrah. Fans will celebrate his feats in the BGT Series and also moan his absence on the last day in Sydney. Why is there no concern for a player's injury and what will be the treatment and management protocol ahead? Remember, Bumrah had been out of action twice because of the back stress fracture after he had got injured in the Birmingham Test in 2022. His first return was rushed, again a mess-up by the NCA. He had to go out and then again return.

Jasprit Bumrah is a national treasure, everyone has a right to know what is the problem with his back. An update must be provided so that there is no speculation. Yes, the entire coach staffing headed by Gautam Gambhir over-bowled him leading to breakdown? Please answer.