Why can’t they hit Bumrah’s full tosses? It’s because of the fear of his name: Waqar Younis. Jasprit Bumrah won his second Player of the Match award in a row in the T20 World Cup 2024.
While the bulk of Pakistani hitters were unconcerned about the rest of the Indian bowling lineup, they constantly struggled to manage right-arm pacer Jasprit Bumrah. A quick scan at the match scorecard confirms this claim, as Bumrah produced the most dot balls (15) in his four-over spell—four more than any of the other three pacers combined. While the general public may attribute his performance to common characteristics such as pinpoint consistency and other aspects, former Pakistani pace-bowling icon Waqar Younis provided a definitive and remarkably valid opinion.
Waqar began by reminiscing about his playing days. He stated that, despite having faced countless bowlers in his professional cricket career, he understood why Pakistani batsmen were unable to capitalize on Bumrah’s full tosses, let alone other deliveries. Waqar claimed that Bumrah instilled a deep sense of fear among batters, with his name alone having a big psychological influence.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play against some of the game’s greatest players. But I look at Bumrah and the type of motion he has. Why are they unable to hit Bumrah’s full tosses? It’s due to a phobia of his name. He instills panic in the batters. Even if he bowls complete throws, it’s difficult to hit because batters aren’t anticipating it,” Waqar explained in an interview with Star Sports.
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He’s one of the bowlers who’s very hard to pick, he’s a genius: Waqar
Furthermore, Waqar emphasize the lanky pacer’s unusual run-up and, more crucially, his bowling action. Which was distinguished by a springy hyper-extension that made Bumrah extremely deceptive and difficult to read – both on and off the pitch. Reiterating a well-known fact, Waqar lauded Bumrah’s capacity to excel in any situation.
“On top of that, the whippy movement and hyper-extension are really difficult to choose. Hes one of the bowlers who is extremely difficult to identify; hes a genius. Bowls well under any conditions. ” He has everything covered; he is world-class. ” Waqar continued.
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