Mohammed Siraj bowled all five Test matches during India’s England tour, crafting a story of courage and endurance. He delivered a staggering 185.3 overs, claimed 23 wickets, and helped India draw the series 2‑2. His fearless bowling sparked a change in attitude in Indian cricket. Gambhir and Agarkar, along with the BCCI leadership, now want to stop top players from skipping big games under the banner of “workload management”
A senior BCCI official told PTI, “There have been discussions and the message will be sent across to the centrally contracted players, especially those who are all format regulars that this culture of picking and choosing games won’t be entertained in near future.”
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He added, “It doesn’t mean that workload management will be thrown out of the window but a more objective approach is expected in near future. Obviously, fast bowlers’ workload needs managing but it can’t be accepted that in the name of workload management, people will miss crucial matches”
Siraj’s Performance Stuns Experts
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar made his views clear after the series. He said, “When you are playing for your country, forget the aches and the pains. On the border, do you think that the jawans are complaining about cold? What did Rishabh Pant show you? He came out to bat with a fracture. That is what you expect from the players. Playing cricket for India is an honour.”
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He praised Siraj’s performance “I think Siraj bowled his heart out, and he debunked forever this business of workload. For five Test matches, non-stop he has bowled 7‑8 over spells, because the captain wanted him and the country expected of him.” Gavaskar then called for the word ‘workload’ to vanish from India’s cricket vocabulary: “I hope that the word ‘workload’ goes out of the Indian cricket dictionary… workload is only a mental thing, not so much a physical thing”
Bumrah Exclusion
Jasprit Bumrah played only three Tests in the series citing workload concerns. That move did not sit well with all. The PTI report notes that BCCI officials have questioned the decision and raised concerns about the Sports Science team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru
