‘He still has a lot to prove’: Waqar Younis makes bold claim about Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah (ANI Photo) Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has hailed Jasprit Bumrah as a standout bowler in modern white-ball cricket, but believes the Indian fast bowler still has a long way to go in the Test format.Despite Bumrah’s impressive record of 234 wickets in 52 Tests at an average of 19.7 and a strike rate of 42.8, Waqar feels the pacer has not played enough red cricket to rank ahead of the other leading fast bowlers.“There is no modern bowler of the same caliber as Bumrah with the white ball. Leave out Test cricket. He still has a lot to prove in Tests; he hasn’t played that much. There are plenty of others, like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. You can’t ignore some of the English bowlers either. But when you talk about cricket, Burrah and one of them always make an impact in T20 scenarios. And that’s what matters,” Waqar said in the podcast Shubhankar Mishra.Waqar’s rating comes despite Bumrah’s notable achievements in the longest format. The Indian pacer became the fastest Indian fast bowler to reach 50 Test wickets in 2018, achieving the milestone in his 11th match. He took his 100th Test wicket in his 24th appearance.Bumrah also became only the third Indian bowler to take a Test hat-trick in 2019. His performances in 2024 earned him the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award, while he finished the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy with 32 wickets in five Tests, a series record.The right-arm paceman was also highly effective in England, taking 51 wickets in 11 Tests.One possible reason for Waqar’s rating is Bumrah’s limited availability in Test cricket compared to Australian quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. His participation has been affected by injuries and workload management and he is yet to play a Test for India this year.Bumrah is expected to return for India’s two-match Test series in New Zealand next month, where a place in the World Test Championship final is at stake.

Waqar recalls Bumrah’s match-winning spell against Pakistan

Questioning Bumrah’s status in Tests, Waqar was unequivocal about the Indian paceman’s influence in ODIs and T20Is. He particularly recalled Bumrah’s crucial contribution to India’s six-run win over Pakistan at the 2024 FIFA World Cup T20 in New York.Pakistan looked firmly in control at 80/3 after 14 overs, needing only 40 runs from the last six overs to chase down India’s target of 120. Bumrah dismissed Mohammad Rizwan, sparking a collapse that helped India defend a modest total.Waqar believes the spell showed why Bumrah is such a valuable asset in high-pressure situations, especially when the skipper needs a breakthrough.“Whenever the Indian captain is in trouble, he always gives the ball to Bumrah. Pakistan had nothing to lose in New York. The required course was well under control. The difference proved to be that Bumrah dismissed Rizwan. The key players are the Impact Players. A top player can motivate others who also feel that we have to match him,” said Waqar, who took 373 Test cricket wickets.For Waqar, Bumrah’s greatest asset in white-ball cricket is his ability to deliver when the stakes are highest, making him a crucial figure at crucial moments.