'I have a lot of respect for Jasprit Bumrah': Mohammad Abbas

'I have a lot of respect for Jasprit Bumrah': Mohammad Abbas
In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Pakistan's Test specialist Mohammad Abbas praised the natural prowess of Jasprit Bumrah and called him a fantastic asset for his country. 

Abbas opines that Bumrah has got a natural bowling action and coaches shouldn't fiddle with such bowler's bowling action as they might lose their potency with too much tinkering.

“I haven’t played against Bumrah yet, but I do know that he has done wonders with the ball. His bowling action has been discussed a lot but, in my view, that is his natural action, and such actions should not be tinkered with by any coach,” said Abbas.

Pakistan Test ace bowler also made it clear that changing a natural bowling action can damage the overall condition of a bowler and chances of injury becomes higher. 

“When you bowl a certain way, it can take a long time to change an action which is natural to the bowler and also increases the chances of injury as well. I have a lot of respect for him and think he’s a fantastic bowler,” Abbas said.

Furthermore, Abbas advised the coaches to try and change the bowling actions of young kids at a younger age to avoid extra pressure and stress on the body. He further added that changing a bowling action at an early age requires less effort compared to changing it at a later stage.

“To me, bowling actions should only be changed at a very young age at the Under-13, Under-15, or even at the Under-16 stage. Trying to make changes to a bowler’s action after this age will be counterproductive as by that time muscles and muscle memory have already taken shape and developed in a certain way. 

"So, the chances of injury become greater when changes are made at a later stage in life as it puts extra stress on the body because it needs to adjust to a different action,” he concluded.

Mohammad Abbas has been hogging the limelight in the ongoing County Championship where he is picking wickets regularly for his side Hampshire and making a case for a comeback to the Pakistan team.