Jasprit Bumrah is a ‘freak, a nightmare and simply unplayable’: Former and current cricketers heap praises on world no.1
For fans and players alike, Jasprit Bumrah is a bowler one watches in awe—unless one is standing at the crease. Here’s how cricketing fraternity describes him!
After he blew away the Australian batting line-up in both innings of the first Test match that concluded last week, Indian pace bowling sensation Jasprit Bumrah, once again received plaudits from fans and peers, who feel that he has revolutionized fast bowling with his unique action, precision, and ability to extract magic even from the most unhelpful conditions.
After his exploits in the first Test down under, he once again regained the numero uno spot in ICC rankings in Test matches as a bowler, his impact has left former and current cricketers in awe, some grateful they never had to face him, others struggling to find ways to counter him.
For Aussies, Jasprit Bumrah is one of the greatest bowlers of all time!
For instance, for the Aussies, both current and former players, Jasprit Bumrah is simply the best and already in the list of some of the greatest names in the history of this sport.
Australian batter Travis Head, in a recent interview recognized Bumrah’s genius and appreciated the rare privilege of competing against him. "Jasprit will go down as probably one of the greatest fast bowlers to play the game. I think we're finding that at the moment—how challenging he can be, and it's nice to play against that," Head said during a press confrence in Australia recently. “It's gonna be nice to go back and look at your career and go tell the grandkids that you faced him. So not a bad series of playing with him. Hopefully, I'll face a few more times, but he is challenging,” he added.
Former Aussie players and cricketing legends Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have echoed Head's sentiments.
Ponting highlighted the unpredictability and precision of Bumrah’s bowling, described him as a nightmare for batsmen and drew comparisons with all-time greats like Glenn McGrath and James Anderson. "When you talk to opposition batsmen about him, it’s always, ‘No, he’s a nightmare! You never know what’s going to happen. One’s going to swing, one’s going to seam; he’s going to bowl an in-swinger; he’s going to bowl an out-swinger. And the consistency is there," Ponting had said during the ICC Review, in August earlier this year.
For Michael Clarke, Bumrah is, simply put, ‘a freak’. In a recent podcast, Clarke said he was amazed at Bumrah’s ability to adapt to conditions that rarely favour fast bowlers, his knack for consistently outsmarting batsmen. Clarke said: “Bumrah, what can you say! He is a freak. His skill in these conditions, so conducive to fast bowling, is unbelievable!”
English players are wary of facing Bumrah!
Former English players, whther it's a batter or a bowler, are all in awe of Bumrah. Former pacer, Steven Finn, feelt Bumrah is not just a bowler; he’s an entertainer worth staying up all night to watch. "The player that I loved watching, and I think is actually the best player in the world, bar none at the moment, is Jasprit Bumrah. I stayed up all night watching him bowl. I can’t keep my eyes off him. I mean, he’s just—he’s a joke, honestly," he said in an interview with TNT sports.
Another former English cricketer, Michael Atherton, an opening batsman, is grateful that his playing days ended before Bumrah’s era. After the first test match between India and Australia, Atherton, in conversation with former English captain Naseer Hussain, vividly imagined the dread of facing Bumrah’s pinpoint accuracy and deceptive action.
"There are a few bowlers when you retire, you don’t really think about. You know your time as a player. But there’s the odd bowler that you just think, 'Thank goodness I did not face him with the new ball.' I mean, how would you play him? He’s like a nightmare, isn’t he? He stutters away off about 10 yards and then unleashes these thunderbolts, usually bang on a sixpence, and he steals a yard because he releases it in front of himself more so than anybody else. What a nightmare to face," Atherton said.
West Indian legend Andy Robert's greatest compliment to Bumrah
But perhaps, what (still) remains as the biggest compliment to Bumrah was when West Indian bowling legend Andy Roberts’ praised Bumrah. Back in 2019, Bumrah’s performances against the West Indies in the Caribbean, earned him a spot in Roberts’ dream team, as revealed by the then India coach Ravi Shastri.
"The biggest compliment for Jasprit Bumrah came in 2019 when I was the coach here (in the Indian team). He dismantled the side in 2-2.5 days through two Tests. Andy Roberts came to meet him, and he said, ‘You could’ve taken the new ball in our team,’" recounted Ravi Shastri.
Is Jasprit Bumrah the greatest bowler ever?
The quotes from some of the game’s greatest voices aren’t just compliments—they’re a testament to the impact Bumrah has made in a relatively short span of time. Whether it's Travis Head envisioning stories for his grandkids, Ricky Ponting likening him to the greats, or Michael Atherton thanking his stars he never had to face him, the message is unanimous: Jasprit Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation talent.
For cricket fans, watching Bumrah is a privilege. For batsmen, however, it’s often an ordeal they’d rather forget. As his career progresses, one thing is certain—Bumrah’s legend will only continue to grow, and so will the nightmares he inspires in the minds of batsmen worldwide.
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