India’s star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his shock by the criticism that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah attracted for calling himself the 'fittest cricketer'.
Earlier this month, Bumrah attended an event, where he was asked 'who is the fittest cricketer' in India and the ace pacer had an interesting response to the question.
Bumrah said he knew the answer that everyone wanted but he would always promote fast bowlers. His reply drew mixed reactions from the netizens, where many called him arrogant.
“I know the answer that you are searching for but I would like to say my name because I am a fast bowler,” Bumrah replied.
“I’ve been playing for a while. Being a fast bowler and playing in this country in the heat takes a lot of requirement. So I’ll always promote fast bowlers and always take their name,” he added.
Many felt that Bumrah avoided taking the name of Virat Kohli, who is widely regarded as one of the fittest athletes in the world and credited for introducing the fitness culture in the Indian team.
The fast bowler was criticized for his remarks as fans pointed out that Bumrah missed multiple international tournaments due to injury, unlike Kohli.
Now, Ashwin shared his thoughts on this subject, saying that one needs to understand the difference between a tipper lorry and a Mercedes Benz. He then mentioned Bumrah's injury that kept him out of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
"People immediately say Bumrah got injured; how can he be the fittest? Boss, there's a huge difference between a tipper lorry and a Mercedes Benz. Mercedes is chauffeur-driven; its spare parts are very costly. Now, think about a Tipper Lorry. It has to go from North to South with so much load. A fast bowler is a tipper lorry. He will break down. He has returned after a stress fracture and is bowling at 145, give credit to him," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The off-spinner further stated that people should let Bumrah speak his heart out as he is the “Kohinoor diamond” of Indian cricket.
"Why do you want to make this thing big? Jasprit Burmrah is a fast bowler who clocks 145 kph in the scorching heat, slogs so hard and is the crowned jewel of Indian cricket. They took the Kohinoor diamond but Bumrah is currently India's Kohinoor diamond. Let Jasprit Bumrah say whatever he wants to, just accept it," he added.
Known for his forthright views, Ashwin said it is unfair to ask Bumrah his opinion and then create uproar about it.
"Tell me one thing: Has any fast bowler after Kapil Dev become as big (as Bumrah)? Bumrah is the only one who comes and wins you matches. Also, you asked Jasprit Bumrah the question, and then you also want to answer it. You are saying, 'I'm not satisfied with your answer'. How is this fair?" Ashwin remarked.
