Former Indian cricketer, Ravi Shastri, has expressed concerns regarding the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah in the Indian squad for the upcoming World Cup 2023.
Shastri stated that Bumrah in the national team would be a similar mistake to Pakistan’s inclusion of Shaheen Shaheen Afridi in the squad for the 2023 T20 World Cup.
The cricketer-turned-commentator emphasized the significant role Bumrah plays in the national side and warned that including him in the squad might worsen his injury.
“Bumrah is a very important cricketer. But if you rush him for the World Cup then you might lose him for four months later on, much like Shaheen Afridi,” Shastri warned.
It is worth noting that Shaheen Afridi suffered a knee injury during the Sri Lanka series last year, which resulted in his absence from the Netherlands series and the Asia Cup 2022.
Although the left-arm pacer made a comeback to the national squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup, he aggravated his injury during the critical stages of the final against England.
The 23-year-old pacer then returned to professional cricket during the Pakistan Super League and rejoined the national squad for the white-ball series against New Zealand.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has now included Afridi in the squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place in July ahead of the Asia Cup 2023.
