NEW DELHI: Former England pacer Steve Harmison has highlighted the irreplaceable nature of the fast bowler by drawing a startling comparison between football icon Cristiano Ronaldo and India’s standout pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
According to Harmison, it would be like a FIFA World Cup without Ronaldo at his best if Bumrah were to miss the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy because of an injury.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Due to back swelling, Bumrah, who played a pivotal role in India’s Test series against Australia, is probably going to miss the Champions Trophy group stage. Harmison, nevertheless, is adamant that India should keep him in the squad till the very end in the hopes that he will make it back to the knockout stages.
Harmison presented a strong argument for India’s patience with their top fast bowler while talking to TalkSport Cricket.
“He’s Jasprit Bumrah. For me, you can’t replace Jasprit Bumrah anytime,” Harmison said. “And I mean, I would even go up to the morning of the final to take him that far because he’s Jasprit Bumrah. He’s the best in the world. That would be my take from an Indian point of view.”
The former England pacer compared a football World Cup without one of the greatest forwards in history to Bumrah’s possible absence.
“It’s like going to a football World Cup without your best striker, Cristiano Ronaldo. Fifteen years ago, you don’t replace Ronaldo until you have to. That’s what I imagine India will do with Bumrah.”
India might “carry him around in a sedan chair” during the competition, Harmison even quipped, and hope he’s available by the semifinals or the final.
“It’s a 14-man squad. That’s good enough to get me through the group games. We might get him by the semifinal, more than the semifinal. If he’s not fit, we’ll replace him just in case we have another injury. But he’s Jasprit Bumrah.”