Can Jasprit Bumrah play T20 World Cup by taking painkillers? ICC medical advisory committee doctor explains

The Indian cricket team was dealt with a big blow on Wednesday as Jasprit Bumrah was reportedly ruled out of the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2022 owing to a back stress fracture. It is the same injury that had kept Bumrah out of the Asia Cup 2022 as well. But, could this injury have a long-term effect on Bumrah?

As per a doctor on the ICC medical advisory committee, stress fractures are quite complicated and take a long time to heal. But, by no means is this injury career-threatening. In a chat with the Times of India, Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala shed some light on the nature of this injury.

"Stress fractures of the back are not career-threatening or career-ending. In most instances, once you rest and rehabilitate, you can return to complete normalcy. Although stress reactions heal quickly, stress fractures take a longer time and the recovery is frustratingly slow, because there's not too much that you can do except for unloading the area and subsequently gradually reintroducing loads once healing is complete. Stress fractures are unlike traumatic fractures and rest is a critical aspect of the treatment in these injuries. Once you do that, it recovers," Pardiwala explained.

An official statement on the matter from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still awaited. Hence, one wonders if the Indian team can play the waiting game and take Bumrah to Australia for the T20 World Cup. In the past, some athletes have performed after taking strong painkillers. But, Pardiwala is against this idea.

"Well, you could take some strong painkillers and play, but firstly, you'll not be able to play to your best. At the same time, you'll probably worsen it," he said.

Dr. Pardiwala explained the nature of the injury which takes place due to a repeated micro-injury or a set of small injuries over a period of weeks or months.

"Any pacer is prone to stress fractures in the low back and this typically happens on the side opposite to the bowling arm. In a normal fracture, a bone breaks because of an injury. However, a stress fracture happens because of repetitive micro-injury as small injuries build up over weeks or months.

When it comes to the treatment, "Rest, and not surgery," Pardiwala said is the only solution.