Bumrah is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and there is no clarity on his full fitness or whether he will play for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. Bond worked as Bumrah’s bowling coach for Mumbai Indians for several years. He believes that Bumrah’s workload needs to be carefully managed to prevent a recurrence of his injury. Bond, currently in India as the Rajasthan Royals’ bowling coach, said that as soon as Bumrah left the field for a scan after bowling only five overs on the second day of the Sydney Test, he suspected it was a stress-related injury.
Bond was one of the first fast bowlers in this century to undergo back surgery. He had the surgery at the age of 29, the same age at which Bumrah also had his surgery. Bond played cricket until the age of 34 despite injuries but eventually retired from Test cricket first and then from all formats within six months. In a 2010 conversation with The Cricket Monthly, Bond said, “If I played consecutive matches, my body would start breaking down, and I was tired of rehab.”
Bond’s Career Ended Similarly
Bond explained that the highest risk of injury for fast bowlers occurs when they quickly transition from T20 to Test cricket. This is why he is concerned about Bumrah, as India is scheduled to play a five-Test series in England in June, just a month after the IPL. Bond said, “Look, I think Bumrah will be fine, but it entirely depends on his workload management. Given the schedule and upcoming tours, it will be crucial to determine where he needs rest and where the highest risk lies. The transition from IPL to Test cricket will be a significant risk.” India’s tour of England is a busy schedule, with five Test matches to be played between 28 June and 3 August. Bond said that India and Bumrah should not put as much strain on him as they did on the Australia tour, where he bowled a total of 151.2 overs in five Tests, 52 of which were in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test alone. Going forward, Bond said he wouldn’t want Bumrah to play more than two consecutive Test matches.
He said, “He is very important for the next World Cup and other tournaments. So, considering the five Test matches in England, I wouldn’t want him to play more than two consecutive matches. Going straight into Test cricket after the IPL would be a huge risk for him. How this is managed is the most important question. If we can keep him fit throughout the English summer, then I’ll be confident that he can remain fit in other formats as well. But if he injures the same spot again, it could be a massive blow to his career, as it would likely be difficult to have surgery on that spot again.”
