Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada are the most exceptional pacers of this generation, according to former fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Shane Bond. Both pacers think Bumrah and Rabada are like gold, understanding what to bowl in each stage of the game, stated the two pace-bowling legends ahead of IPL 2025. Two of the game's most ferocious pacers, Steyn and Bond, talked extensively about the craft of fast bowling. In fact, Bond believed that seventy per cent of bowlers in international cricket had no clue about what they were doing.
Steyn and Bond on Bumrah
Steyn supported Bond's argument by saying that he frequently discussed dumbing things down with team leaders because most bowlers were unable to focus at crucial game times.
"There's always an assumption as an international bowler: he knows what he's doing. I think 70% of bowlers don't know what they are doing. I say to my captains, don't ever be afraid to tell a bowler what to bowl and then manoeuvre the field for them. Because sometimes just the simplicity of the task makes a massive difference," Shane Bond said in the interview with ESPN Cricinfo
"I have seen international players today that will run in and bowl six balls without changing the field once, and they've played for ten years at the highest level. And sometimes I sit there and I'm pulling my hair out and I just think, can you not see what's going to happen?" Dale Steyn added to Bond's point.
According to both fast bowlers, Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah were like gold, able to understand the game and devise their own strategies. According to Bond, a bowler must possess four essential qualities: technique, a strong work ethic, knowledge of the opposition batter, and a killing instinct.
"If you look at Bumrah, who's the best bowler in the world, he's that combination of, obviously, skill, [but he] works really hard, does his preparation on the batsman and has the ability to use his instinct as well. And when you combine those four things, that's why he is No. 1 in the world. A lot of bowlers don't have those four things," Shane Bond spoke about Bumrah.
"You look at guys like [Jasprit] Bumrah, he's probably the all-in-all package, him and KG Rabada. They've got the ability to come and bowl at any particular time in a game and take a wicket. Those guys are like gold. So if you can produce more bowlers like that, we'll start to see our fast-bowling stock get so much better. It's not just about bowling 155kph these days or having tens of different types of skills, it's really about being able to break the game open when your captain needs it," Dale Steyn concluded on the matter.
Due to a back issue, Jasprit Bumrah is currently sidelined but is anticipated to return in the Indian Premier League. Rabada will play for the Gujarat Titans, his new team.