Australia pace legend Glenn McGrath believes Jasprit Bumrah still has plenty of cricket left in him but insists the Indian fast bowler must carefully manage his workload to extend his international career. Speaking on Monday (July 27), McGrath described Bumrah as a “spring chicken” despite his injury concerns and suggested the Indian spearhead may eventually have to prioritise certain formats to remain at his best for years to come.

Bumrah has been under strict workload management since suffering a serious back stress injury during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he shouldered a heavy bowling workload across five Tests. Since then, the BCCI has been cautious with his schedule, resting him from several bilateral ODI and T20I assignments while also limiting his involvement in select Test matches.

Widely regarded as one of India’s greatest fast bowlers, Bumrah remains the leader of the country’s pace attack. His fitness is expected to play a crucial role in India’s ambitions across all major ICC events and the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. McGrath believes the decision on Bumrah’s future workload ultimately rests with the pacer himself.

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“It’s up to him what he wants. How old is Bumrah now? Thirty-one or thirty-two? He’s only a spring chicken. He has to find a way to have longevity. He’s had a few injuries, but he’s a quality bowler. Whether he wants to focus on Test cricket or T20 cricket depends on him and how his body responds. Bowlers with his action put extra stress on certain joints, so it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold,” Glenn McGrath said.

Bumrah is also reportedly doubtful for India’s upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka after sustaining an impact injury to his knee during the recent UK tour, although an official update on his availability is still awaited.

McGrath also expressed confidence in Prasidh Krishna, identifying the 30-year-old as one of the fast bowlers capable of leading India’s pace transition in the post-Mohammed Shami era. The former Australian quick praised Prasidh’s remarkable development over the past few years, recalling his progress from the MRF Pace Foundation to becoming a consistent performer in the IPL and international cricket.

“I’m a big fan of Prasidh. Replacing bowlers like Shami and Bumrah is never easy, so there will naturally be a transition period. He’s matured immensely, both in terms of pace and overall bowling. His height, bounce and ability to hit the right areas make him a complete fast bowler. He has developed his potential into consistent performances, and I’ve been really impressed with his progress,” Glenn McGrath added.

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With Bumrah’s workload continuing to be closely monitored and India’s pace attack gradually evolving, McGrath believes smart planning and the emergence of bowlers like Prasidh Krishna will be vital to maintaining India’s strength in fast bowling over the coming years.