'His adaptability to all formats is just crazy' - Allan Donald explains why Jasprit Bumrah stands above the rest
Bumrah's one guy whom I would always have in my team across formats, Donald said.
South African pace legend Allan Donald was known for his express fast pace during his playing days and his ability to chip in with crucial wickets. After all who can forget his famous face-off with then England skipper Michael Atherton during a Test match in Nottingham where Donald was seen sledging the latter after bowling fiery deliveries at regular intervals.
It has been years since Donald retired but now, he is really impressed with a fast bowler’s exceptional talent, and lately, the Proteas pace icon has lauded India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for having ‘real pace’.
Jasprit Bumrah has sublime skills in all formats of the game: Allan Donald
“Two blokes who I would keep at the top across all formats are (Kagiso) Rabada and Bumrah. But the one who would stand out in terms of all formats is Bumrah. His adaptability to all formats is just crazy and everyone talks about him. He has sublime skills in all formats of the game,” said Donald while speaking to The Telegraph.
When he had first burst onto the scene at the highest level back in January 2016, Jasprit Bumrah was considered to be India’s death overs specialist in white-ball cricket. He then proved his mettle in red-ball cricket by registering fifers in South Africa, England and Australia. The premier pacer had recently registered a five-wicket haul during the first innings of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Meanwhile, the ex-speedster was also in awe of the modern-day pace sensation’s ‘magnificent wrist turn-over’.
“I was watching him bowl the other day. Especially how he delivers the ball after a stuttering run-up and releases the ball is simply crazy. He has got a magnificent wrist turn-over that no one else has presently in the game. It just can’t go wrong for him”, he added.
“His ability to bowl yorkers any time in all formats also stands out. He also knows when to bowl that yorker in Test cricket. He’s an absolute gun for me in all formats. I don’t think I’ve seen such steel in a young fast bowler. When he first came on to the scene, I thought, ‘Wow! This guy has got real pace’. And now, he’s one guy whom I would always have in my team across formats,” the South African pace legend further added.
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