Former England bowler Stuart Broad has called Indian spearhead Jasprit Bumrah the best bowler in the world and has hinted that the result of the five-match series will depend on his fitness. The Test series will start on June 20 at Leeds.Speaking on For the Love of Cricket, his new podcast with Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad said: “There’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best bowler in the world at the moment. He showed that in Australia. He’s going to be pretty dangerous in these conditions.”Citing the example of Bumrah’s altercation with Sam Konstas in Australia, Broad hailed his competitiveness, dissected his bowling action, and explained why he is so difficult to face.“He’s such a calm guy, isn’t he? And quite laid-back in certain periods. But he’s got an amazing competitive streak to him. There was that great bit of play in Australia wherein he got in a scrap in the last over with Konstas, I think the young opening batter, and Khawaja was on strike. And he nicked Khawaja off, got him out, and just was like screaming and roaring. He’s definitely got that. Every fast bowler — every good fast bowler — has to have that emotion in him,” he said.“But there’s a real sharpness to his competitive spirit. He’s grown up in that Virat Kohli era where Kohli sort of requested that from all his players, didn’t he? That they be in and competitive. But yeah, he’s certainly one to watch and certainly someone that England won’t want to play five Tests. Because if he does, he’s going to pick up a shedload of wickets.
“Gosh! He’s so unique. But what he does brilliantly — he’s got a really quite calm run-up, short stride pattern as he runs in, which — you’re right — facing him, it’s hard to get the rhythm of what’s coming because he jogs in. You’re thinking this will be 70 miles an hour, 70 miles an hour, and it hits you at 90. You don’t get a real flow.“Whereas when I faced Shoaib Akhtar, he sprinted in at 100 miles an hour and delivered it at 100 miles an hour. You know, you’re ready. But Bumrah’s so balanced in his run-up. It’s a short stride pattern. So he never gets overstrided and off-balance. And when he delivers, his front leg is braced, almost catapulting him over.“I look at Glenn McGrath — probably had the most balanced delivery stride that I’ve watched. And Bumrah is the same. He’s so balanced he can tweak his wrist to swing it in and out, just with a movement of a couple of centimeters either way.“You don’t get huge visuals, do you, when you’re facing him — of him throwing his front arm out of the way to bowl an in-swinger or twisting his shoulder really far left to bowl an away-swinger. It feels like everything’s in a flick of the wrist.”
