India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah seems to have done himself massive damage as he hurried his comeback after a back injury in September last year. The pacer has been out of action since that T20I he played against Australia. Bumrah, in all likelihood, will miss the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and even the World Test Championship Final, if India make it.
The pacer’s comeback has been getting delayed and delayed as he is unable to regain match fitness. With National Cricket Academy (NCA) failing to get Bumrah back on his feet, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to fly their premium pacer to New Zealand for his back surgery.
Reports have emerged that Bumrah will soon depart for New Zealand and consult the famous Kiwi surgeon, Rowan Schouten who has worked on many star players in the past including former New Zealand pacer and current Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond.
“Jasprit Bumrah could be headed to New Zealand to undergo a surgery for his troublesome back. The medical team of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the managers of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) have zeroed in on a Kiwi surgeon, who had worked on Jofra Archer, and the arrangements are being made on a war footing to have the pacer flown to Auckland at the earliest,” a Cricbuzz report claimed.
Notably, Schouten is famous in sporting circles and is considered to be the best in the business, knowing how to go about the procedure. Schouten had assisted Inglis in the surgery of Australian pacer James Pattinson while he also handled the surgery of Ben Dwarshuis and Jason Behrendorff who had also struggled with back issues.
Bumrah undergoing surgery would mean he will take between 20 and 24 weeks to recover. But that too would not ensure him being fully fit. If Bumrah takes more than six months to recover, India will have to move on from him and groom someone else to play in the ODI World Cup which is slated to be played in October-November.