September 25, 2025

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan isn’t happy with India’s team management. He thinks they made a big mistake by including Jasprit Bumrah in the Test squad for the West Indies series. Why? Because it was a golden chance to rest Bumrah and give young fast bowlers some game time. Pathan points out how the team handled Bumrah’s workload in England. “In England, we saw his workload needed careful handling. He didn’t play all the matches,” said Pathan on his YouTube channel. He reminds us that India took care of Bumrah in tough overseas conditions by not overplaying him. Now, with the West Indies series at home, Pathan says the management should have been smart again. “In India, anyway, you don’t bowl as much,” he explained. So, this series was a perfect moment to give Bumrah some rest and protect him for bigger battles ahead. However, Pathan also strongly praises Bumrah’s love for Test cricket. “It is a good thing for Indian cricket that he wants to play Tests,” Pathan said. But he still believes resting Bumrah would have done double duty: giving him a break and helping young fast bowlers get tested. “Selectors could have groomed a young fast bowler,” added Pathan. This way, India could build a strong fast bowling pool for the future. Pathan says, “Three or four are not enough, when you look at long-term, you need at least a group of eight fast bowlers.” The West Indies Test series, especially after India’s busy England tour, was an ideal platform to try this out. “There was an opportunity across two Tests to play a young fast bowler. I feel that was missed by the selectors,” he pointed out. Irfan Pathan’s words come at a time when India’s pace attack has been dealing with injuries and constant cricket matches. With big things ahead like the World Test Championship, having ready and rested bowlers is super important. Pathan sums up his point well: “It is not about right or wrong thinking, but the opportunity was there.” He says resting star players in low-risk series is not a weakness but smart investment. His strong message is clear — India must balance winning now and building a future-proof fast bowling team. In short, the West Indies games weren’t just about winning. They were a shining chance to prepare the next cricketing speedsters while keeping superstar Jasprit Bumrah fresh and fiery for the real challenges ahead.

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Tags: Irfan pathan, Jasprit bumrah, India cricket, West indies series, Fast bowlers, Workload management,