Former Pacer Questions Pakistan Cricket Culture, Praises Team India for Jasprit Bumrah Workload Management

Amid the Asia Cup 2025, former Pakistan pacer Umar Gul raised questions on the culture of Pakistan cricket while praising Indian cricket for rotating their players well and offering prime players to recover well from injury.

During a recent talk show, the former cricketer claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lacked creating a secure environment so that every player can offer their hundred percent on the field. Gul said that in Pakistan cricket, even senior players have the fear of losing their place in the team if they want to skip a match because of injury or fitness reasons. Gul suggested PCB utilize rotation policy and workload management plans like BCCI to build trust among players.

"Unfortunately, in our system, in our culture, the problem is that when we also used to play, any senior player was hesitant. If he’s even 70-80% fit, he would say, ‘I want to play.’ This was because if another player comes in and performs, then a rotation policy is not in our culture. We only look at the performance: this new guy has performed, so bring him in and let him play. So, I think this trust should be developed, and the rotation policy should be there. Your priority should be the senior player; when he gets fit, you should play him," the former Pakistan pacer said.

The workload management of Jasprit Bumrah attracted both appraisal and criticism from cricket experts. For the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy against England, the team management of India utilizedBumrah only for three out of five matches. Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep also participated in three matches each in the series. Only Mohammed Siraj, who is currently representing India in only the red-ball cricket, played all of the five matches. BCCI's intention was clear: keeping their prime assets fresh for upcoming important tournaments. Gul liked the concept very much.

Umar Gul suggested PCB to follow BCCI's footsteps

"I think India has a system. The rehab that the doctor tells you to do for six or five weeks means they are giving you an extra week so that you have a complete recovery. Plus, the most important thing is the rotation policy, right? Or we say that Bumrah is rested and has only played in World Cup or ICC events. So, the confidence that our premium bowler will be the first priority when he comes back after being fit," he added.

Gul's comments came ahead of Pakistan's first Asia Cup 2025 match against Oman on September 12. The team in green will face India on September 14.