"Step away from test cricket.." Shoaib Akhtar advises Jasprit Bumrah to retire from longest format of the game

Jasprit Bumrah has taken 185 test wickets in his career so far.

Jasprit Bumrah stands as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world currently. The 31-year-old pacer has been India’s key player across all formats. Starting his career as a T20 specialist, Jasprit seamlessly adapted to test cricket. Bumrah has so far picked 185 wickets in just 42 games at an average of 20 in the longest format of the game.

Bumrah sent panic waves through Indian fans when he went down mid-over on the second day of the Adelaide test. Fortunately for the Asian giants, subsequent tests revealed it to be the case of just cramps. Jasprit has been in sublime form in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. The Indian speedster leads the wicket-taking chart with 12 scalps in two games.

Amid the blockbuster series, Pakistani bowling legend Shoaib Akhtar has shared his thoughts on Bumrah’s future in test cricket.

Shoaib Akhtar advises Jasprit Bumrah to retire from test cricket

Speaking on The Nakash Khan Show podcast, Akhtar expressed concerns about Bumrah’s ability to sustain the physical demands of test cricket. Akhtar also discussed the challenge of fast bowling in test cricket.

He said, “Very good fast bowler (Bumrah) for shorter formats and one-day, because he understands the length. I think he does a great job in death overs, in powerplay and he can swing the ball both ways. But you know, in test cricket, you have to bowl longer spells. You need pace because the batters aren’t trying to hit you.“

Akhtar also acknowledged Bumrah’s fitness challenges and warned that the demand to maintain high pace in test cricket can lead to injuries. He also advised Bumrah to retire from the longest format of the game.

Akhtar added, “But if he wants to continue playing test cricket, he has to increase the pace. With the injection of increasing pace, he has a high risk of getting injured. If I was him, I would have stuck to shorter formats.“

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