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Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting didn't mention Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, or Josh Hazlewood and said that an Indian bowler was the best all-format bowler in the world ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25. According to the former coach of the Delhi Capitals franchise, star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been the best player in all three formats for the past five to six years. Additionally, Ponting stated that Bumrah has improved as a bower since his lengthy injury hiatus last year.
"I've said it for a long time, he's probably been the best multi-format bowler there's been in world cricket for the last five or six years. There might have been some fears a couple of years ago when the injuries come in and ‘would he come back the same?’, but I think he's actually come back better. If I watch what he did in the T20 World Cup – the pace is still there, there's nothing that's changed with the accuracy or what he can deliver. The skillset is all the same. He's getting better year on year. So, he would rank right up there," said Ponting to the ICC Review.
Ponting compares Bumrah with McGrath and Anderson
Ponting said that talking to the batters from other teams about playing Bumrah will tell you how great he is and that they say the Indian star is hard to play against. Ponting drew parallels between Bumrah and the legendary pacers James Anderson and Glenn McGrath.
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"The greatest way to always get a real gauge on these players is by asking (other) players. when you talk to opposition batsmen about him (Bumrah) in particular, it's always, 'No, he's a nightmare! You never know what's going to happen. One's going to swing, one's going to seam, he's going to bowl an in-swinger, he's going to bowl an out-swinger. And the consistency is there.’, So when you've got that skillset and the consistency that he has, then you're going to be a great player. Look at (Glenn) McGrath, look at (James) Anderson, these guys, their longevity and their skills being able to hold up for such a long period of time is what separates them from the rest," Ponting added.
With 15 wickets in eight games and a stunning economy of 4.17, Bumrah was the star of India's T20 World Cup victory in 2024. After India defeated South Africa in the championship match to win the trophy for the first time in 17 years, he was given the Player of the Tournament (POTM) award. In the home Test series against either Bangladesh or New Zealand, Bumrah is expected to make a comeback. He will be India's greatest asset as they attempt to make history by winning three-Test series in a row in Australia later this year.
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