AB de Villiers explains why Jasprit Bumrah may not play all Asia Cup matches: ‘So much cricket these days…’

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has predicted that pacer Jasprit Bumrah may not be available to play all matches of the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers predicted that Bumrah would be used selectively in the tournament and could only be reserved for the stronger teams.

Notably, Bumrah is currently regarded as one of the best pacers in the world, but the 31-year-old has had his fair share of injuries in the last year or so. Bumrah had to sit out of the last few days of the fifth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia due to a back injury, which also saw him miss the Champions Trophy.

The pacer was also only available for three matches during the England tour, with the team management not opting to overburden the pacer even when the series was on the line in the final match.

AB de Villiers on Jasprit Bumrah’s selection:

Speaking about the selection of Bumrah in the squad, de Villiers said, “Great to see him in the squad, fit and ready to go. I don’t think he will play all the games. I saw reports saying he will be earmarked for the games that matter and I love that about the selectors being proactive.”

“That’s how you should be managing your senior and most impactful players,” the former batter added.

“It’s not like they are picking and choosing. So much cricket these days that for your older guys, over age 30, their work has taken its toll over the years,” he added.

“Some selectors understand it and some don’t. And once you start managing these players, you will get the best out of them and I love it that they’ve started doing that with Jasprit Bumrah,” the Proteas further stated.

In case the team management does not play Bumrah in all Asia Cup matches, they will have the option of going with Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Hardik Pandya, all of whom have proved their mettle in the shortest format of the game.

The 20-over Asia Cup will be held from 9 to 29 September in the UAE, with the tournament set to open with the match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.