Mhambrey mentioned that the team management has been diligently focusing on workload management, particularly due to the recurring instances of fast bowlers experiencing physical breakdowns in recent times.
The 51-year-old expressed that the absence of Jasprit Bumrah was deeply felt by the team, and given the hectic calendar ahead, there have been extensive discussions within the team regarding the management of bowlers’ workload.
“Injuries and workload of bowlers is a big concern. If you look at the last one-and-a-half years, Bumrah is a player who we have missed a lot. We have not decided who is going to play white-ball (crcket) and who red ball, but eventually we have to give breaks to our bowlers,” Mhambrey said after India’s thumping innings win over West Indies in the opening Test in Dominica on Friday.
“This break also provides us an opportunity to create bench strength. Going forward, we have to take care of bowlers’ fitness and workload management.”
The ex-Mumbai and India fast bowler believes that with the upcoming ODI World Cup and Asia Cup scheduled for this year, it is crucial for the team management to meticulously strategize and manage the workload of the bowlers.
“Workload management is one of the important things. We have been working on it for the last couple of years… Obviously we have missed Bumrah and Prasidh (Krishna) who have been part of the set-up,” Mhambrey said.
“We have learnt from that. Looking at the schedule we have ahead of us, we play a lot of different formats and in that sense workload management will be important. A lot of discussion has been going on with the captain and in the team management as well,” he added.
India’s leading fast bowler, Bumrah, has been sidelined for almost a year since September 2022 due to a back injury. He also underwent surgery in March of this year to address the issue.
(AI image)
Prasidh, who last played competitive cricket in August 2022, has been out of action since then due to a stress fracture, requiring surgical intervention. As a result, he missed this year’s IPL and has been undergoing rehabilitation.
(With agency inputs)