Bumrah played three out of five Tests on the tour of England.
Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram has showered rich praise on India’s strike fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, hailing him as a "modern-day great."
While Bumrah’s workload management during the recently held England Test tour drew him flak, Akram lauded the Indian team management for expertly managing their star quick’s workload.
“Jasprit Bumrah is a world-class bowler, no doubt about it,” Akram said on the show Hasna Mana Hai.
“He has a very unusual action, he has pace, and the way India is managing him is incredible. Full credit to the management and their mindset.”
On being asked if Bumrah is an all-time great, Akram replied: “One should not compare eras. He is a right-arm fast bowler, I was a left-arm quick. I’ve seen debates on social media, but neither he cares nor do I. He is a modern great. I did my bit in my time, but he is very impressive.”
Akram also emphasized the increased challenges bowlers face in modern cricket due to aggressive batting.
“In the 90s, there was no T20. In ODIs, batters often left bad balls, but now even good balls in Tests get hammered. There’s much more pressure on bowlers these days. Jasprit has more chances of picking wickets since batters are always looking for shots. As bowlers, we enjoy that aggression,” he remarked.
On a separate note, Wasim Akram opposed the two-tier WTC system, stressing the need for quality teams and stronger domestic structures before introducing more nations to Test cricket.
“If Pakistan, West Indies, and Bangladesh keep playing among themselves, how will they improve?” he stated. “I don’t agree with the two-tier system. Test cricket needs quality teams. There’s no point in letting associate teams play Tests before developing their first-class structure."