Speeding up recovery might alleviate more injuries, BCCI doing a commendable job with Jasprit Bumrah – Sports Psychologist

The curious case of Jasprit Bumrah’s injury and BCCI being ultra-cautious with his comeback has left everyone thinking about the seriousness of comebacks. The speedster was supposed to make a comeback in the first ODI vs Sri Lanka, in Guwahati, on January 10 (Tuesday), but he complained about stiffness during training sessions at NCA and the BCCI decided to rule him out of the bilateral.

The speedster got injured after the England tour, last July, and his return was hampered when he played two T20Is against Australia in September. While, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has cleared that they don’t want to rush Bumrah’s return, and to give him enough time to be match-fit, experts have started raising doubts about Bumrah’s comeback.

Meanwhile, prominent Sport Psychologist Dr. Priyanka Sarkar appreciated the BCCI for its efforts in being extra careful with Jasprit Bumrah, as she thinks ‘restlessness to get back to the field can result in hasty decisions like faking recovery, hiding pain, etc, but in case of Jasprit Bumrah, BCCI has done a commendable job.’

“The journey of an athlete from being an active athlete to an injured one and then regaining recovery is a complicated process. When athletes get injured and they are forced to sit out, impatience steeps in and they are eager to return to play as quickly as possible. Fear, anxiety, the immense desire to get back to the field and in some cases, depression are common. Speeding up the recovery process by jumping a few signals can only alleviate the injury. Patience is the key,” Dr. Sarkar added.

On the eve of 1st ODI against Sri Lanka, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that ‘Bumrah is working really hard at NCA.’ “Very unfortunate. Poor Guy (Jasprit Bumrah) has been working really hard at the NCA. He felt stiffness in his back a couple of days ago and if Jasprit Bumrah is saying he is not feeling well, you have to pull him out. We need to be extra careful with Bumrah,” Rohit Sharma said.

Dr. Sarkar feels at times athletes blur the line between working hard and working too hard. “The pressure of performing exactly the same as they used to before the injury, is immense, and additional stress to prove their worth in the squad grabs the mind, as well. However, the psychological response to an injury and the mindset that they have while on the road to recovery, separate players from the champions,” added Ms Sarkar.

Meanwhile, a few experts have started raising doubt about Bumrah’s recovery by stating that the BCCI is ‘stretching his recovery process.’ Dr. Sarkar suggested it is important to respect Bumrah’s feelings and ‘not brush it under the carpet.’