Former Pakistan cricket captain Waqar Younis has offered a nuanced assessment of Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, acknowledging his unparalleled prowess in limited-overs formats while simultaneously questioning his standing in Test match cricket. Speaking on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast, the legendary pacer highlighted that while Bumrah is arguably the most impactful bowler in modern-day one-day and T20 cricket, his record in the longest format remains a subject of further establishment.
Younis explicitly stated that despite Bumrah’s undeniable talent, his limited exposure to red-ball cricket prevents him from being placed ahead of other leading global fast bowlers. The former Pakistani speedster identified Australian bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, alongside certain English pacers, as players who have sustained a more consistent presence in the format. According to Younis, the primary concern lies in the sheer volume of appearances, as injuries and careful workload management have restricted Bumrah's participation in Test matches.
This critical view comes despite Bumrah’s statistically impressive record. The Indian pacer has claimed 234 wickets in 52 Test matches, maintaining an average of 19.7 and a strike rate of 42.8. His career includes significant milestones, such as becoming the fastest Indian fast bowler to reach 50 Test wickets in 2018 and achieving a Test hat-trick in 2019. Furthermore, his performance in 2024 earned him the prestigious ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award, and he concluded the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a record-breaking 32 wickets across five matches.
Despite these achievements, Younis reiterated that Bumrah’s impact, while stellar, has been inconsistent in terms of availability compared to his international peers. “There’s no modern-day bowler of the same calibre as Bumrah with the white ball. Leave out Test cricket. He still has a lot to prove in Tests; he hasn’t played as much,” Younis remarked during the discussion. He pointed out that while Bumrah has performed effectively in conditions like England, his relatively sporadic appearances in the Test arena are a defining factor in this comparison.
The conversation naturally shifted to Bumrah’s influence in high-pressure white-ball scenarios, an area where Younis was entirely unequivocal in his praise. He cited India’s narrow six-run victory against Pakistan during the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York as a prime example of Bumrah’s match-winning capability. With Pakistan requiring only 40 runs from the final 36 balls and holding a firm grip on the chase, Bumrah’s dismissal of Mohammad Rizwan sparked a pivotal collapse that turned the game in India’s favour.
“Whenever an India captain is in trouble, he always gives the ball to Bumrah. Pakistan had no business losing in New York. The required rate was well under control,” Younis recalled, emphasizing that such performances underscore why Bumrah is considered an elite impact player. For Younis, Bumrah’s ability to deliver under extreme duress in limited-overs cricket serves as a benchmark that motivates his teammates, even if he feels the bowler needs a longer, more uninterrupted tenure in the whites to be ranked above his Test-specialist counterparts.
Looking ahead, the cricketing world expects to see Bumrah return to the Test fold for India’s upcoming two-match series against New Zealand next month. As India battles for a potential spot in the World Test Championship final, these matches will provide another opportunity for the pacer to further solidify his legacy in the traditional format, potentially addressing the points raised by Younis regarding his standing among the greats of the red-ball game.
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