'Stick to shorter formats': Pakistan great Shoaib Akhtar's shocking advice to star Indian cricketer

Shoaib Akhtar recently discussed Jasprit Bumrah's standing in Test cricket and raised concerns about his long-term success in the format. Akhtar suggested that Bumrah may need to increase his pace to remain competitive with the red ball.

Despite Bumrah's impressive Test average of 20.01 and his reputation as a versatile cricketer across all formats, Akhtar hinted that Bumrah could potentially consider stepping away from Test cricket in the future.

During an appearance on The Nakash Khan Show podcast, the former Pakistani fast bowler shared his thoughts on the matter.

“Very good fast bowler for shorter formats and one-dayers, because he understands the length. I think he does a great job in death overs, in powerplay and he can swing the ball both ways.”

“But you know, in Test cricket, you have to bowl longer spells. You need pace because the batters aren’t trying to hit you,” continued Akhtar. “Length becomes irrelevant. You struggle if the ball doesn’t seam or reverse along with that lack of pace. When you start struggling, then people start questioning.”

Currently competing in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah has amassed an impressive 185 Test wickets in just 42 Test matches. Remarkably, only one other player has achieved more Test wickets at a superior average than the talented Indian seamer. Akhtar has acknowledged Bumrah's potential to become a top-quality seamer. However, he also highlighted concerns regarding Bumrah's fitness, which could potentially hinder his ability to sustain a successful and enduring career in Test cricket.

“I think he is good enough to take wickets in Test cricket. Although he didn’t do much in the Test series against New Zealand, it happens,” said Akhtar. “But if he wants to continue playing Test cricket, he has to increase the pace. With the injection of increasing pace, he has a high risk of getting injured. If I was him, I would have stuck to shorter formats.”

“It only depends on how I feel. If I’m feeling good, okay, I’ll go out there, I’ll bend my back, make sure I take wickets for the team in Test matches. That is fine with me but he has to look after himself, because he wants to play the IPL, he wants to play ODIs, he wants to play Test matches as well,” said Akhtar.

The Pakistani fast bowler wrapped up his discussion on Bumrah with a hint of optimism regarding his standing in the sport. “He’s a great asset for world cricket and we need to make sure we don’t destroy him, in terms of looking after him more,” concluded Akhtar.

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