Another injury in same spot could be career-ender injury: Shane Bond warns Bumrah

Shane Bond warns against overworking Jasprit Bumrah to avoid career-threatening injury, emphasizing careful workload management.

Former New Zealand pacer and ex-Mumbai Indians (MI) bowling coach Shane Bond said that another injury at the same spot where Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah had his surgery could be a career-ender and added that in future, he would not like to see him play more than two Test matches in one go, ESPNCricinfo reported.

Bumrah has been nursing a lower back injury, which ruled him out of India's famous run to Champions Trophy victory on Sunday.

He has not played any competitive cricket since then and also missed India's victorious ICC Champions Trophy campaign. Bumrah is completing his rehab at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and there is no clarity over his availability for Mumbai Indians (MI) during the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) starting from March 22.

Bumrah has not suffered a back injury for the first time, as he had surgery for it in March 2023. Bond, who worked with MI in the past as a bowling coach and is currently Rajasthan Royals' bowling coach, said that Bumrah's workload needs careful management to avoid another injury.

Bond is also notably known for having a back-injury-affected career himself. He played just 120 matches and picked 259 scalps for Kiwis from 2001-10. Like Bumrah, he had his first back surgery at 29. Despite his persistent injuries, Bond played till the age of 34, first retiring from Tests, then from all formats within less than six months.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo about Bumrah, he said, "When he went off for scans, it was at Sydney, there was some messaging coming up around that he had sprains and stuff like that. I worried that it was not going to be a sprain; it might be a bony injury around that area [the back]. I thought he may struggle to make the Champions Trophy if it was."

Bond highlighted that the danger zone lies in the quick transition from T20 to Test cricket. The former pacer highlighted it as a challenge as India prepares for the England tour of five Test matches, barely a month after the IPL ends on May 25.