BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on Friday asserted that Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness evaluation will be done at the National Cricket Academy after reports suggested that neither the premier Indian pacer nor the Rahul Dravid-led body are keen on going ahead with the test in Bengaluru.
Bumrah is on his way to full recovery after being laid low by a stress fracture of the back. He recently bowled at India’s net practice ahead of the second ODI against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam.
“I am not aware of the issue. But Indian players will have to go back to NCA and we will make sure it’s comfortable and logistically easier,” Ganguly told reporters in Kolkata.
He was responding to a report that the Dravid-helmed NCA had been unsure of conducting the fitness test because the pacer was consulting his own set of specialists.
The 26-year-old Bumrah, the No 1 ranked ODI bowler in the ICC rankings, has been training with IPL franchise Delhi Capitals’ trainer Rajnikanth Sivagnanam in Mumbai after recovering from the injury.
“NCA has to be the first and final point for international cricketers. It’s a place for Indian cricketers. Everyone has to go through NCA,” asserted Ganguly.
“They play cricket all over the places year long. We will also try and see whether NCA physios can come and help Jasprit in Mumbai. We will keep the monitoring under NCA. We want to make sure there’s best people with NCA,” he added.
Ganguly recently visited NCA and held discussions with Dravid, who was appointed the head of cricket there in July this year.
“There’s huge hope from Rahul. He’s been a tremendous player. You will get perfection and commitment. We will sort it out,” he said.
“We have given Dravid the charge at the NCA to get it more organised. Ultimately we will extend his role. I’ve spoken to him and the office-bearers. You will get to know the details in a week’s time,” he added.
With PTI Inputs