Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has praised Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian pacer, as one of the finest multi-format bowlers in recent cricket history. Despite battling injuries in 2022, the 30-year-old has made a remarkable return to form. Bumrah played a pivotal role in India's triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 earlier this year, where he was named Player of the Tournament, claiming 15 wickets and maintaining the best economy rate of 4.17 in his team.
His performance in ODIs and Tests has also been impressive, with him ranking eighth in the 50-over format and second in Test cricket, alongside Josh Hazlewood.
In 2022, Bumrah faced a back injury that kept him out of both the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Ponting, in an ICC Review, reflected on Bumrah's dominance over the past five or six years, stating, “I've said it for a long time, he's probably been the best multi-format bowler there's been in world cricket for the last five or six years.”
After spending 11 months on the sidelines, Bumrah returned to India’s squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup last year, where his outstanding performances earned him a place in the official ICC Team of the Tournament.
Ponting commended Bumrah's return, noting that despite the injuries, the bowler has come back even stronger. “There might have been some fears a couple of years ago when the injuries come in and ‘would he come back the same?’, but I think he's actually come back better,” Ponting observed. “If I watch what he did in the T20 World Cup – the pace is still there, there's nothing that's changed with the accuracy or what he can deliver. The skillset is all the same. He's getting better year on year. So, he would rank right up there.”
Ponting compared Bumrah’s consistency and skill to that of pace legends Glenn McGrath and James Anderson. He highlighted, “The greatest way to always get a real gauge on these players is by asking (other) players. And when you talk to opposition batsmen about him (Bumrah) in particular, it's always, 'No, he's a nightmare! You never know what's going to happen. One's going to swing, one's going to seam, he's going to bowl an in-swinger, he's going to bowl an out-swinger. And the consistency is there.'”
Ponting concluded, “So when you've got that skillset and the consistency that he has, then you're going to be a great player. Look at (Glenn) McGrath, look at (James) Anderson, these guys, their longevity and their skills being able to hold up for such a long period of time is what separates them from the rest.”
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