Former South Africa pacer Allan Donald dubbed India’s Jasprit Bumrah as one of the leading pacers in cricket across formats. Donald lauded the skill level and adaptability that Bumrah exhibits in his game. In an interview, the former South Africa quick talked at length about his career and had some tips for the younger cricketers.

Talking about the current crop of fast bowlers Donald said: “If I have to talk about the guys who surprise me…the New Zealand players. Since 2011, they have really shown the world their quality. [Neil] Wagner’s there, [Trent] Boult, and [Kyle] Jamieson came out of nowhere. As for South Africa, [Anrich] Nortje will go a long way. The Australians have a conveyer belt full of them,” he said.

“India, of course, are in the mix too. Under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, young Bumrah has come a long way. He is just a sensation… in all the formats,” he added.

In international cricket, Bumrah has picked up 95 wickets in 22 Tests, 108 wickets in 67 ODIs, and 59 wickets in 49 T20Is.

Donald also added that it is fantastic to see how the young generation of fast bowlers are gifted and adapted to all the formats, from T20s to ODIs to Tests.

When asked about the toughest batsman he bowled to, Donald named his top three: Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Michael Atherton.

“The guy who was technically the best was [Sachin] Tendulkar because I found out in South Africa that he could adapt his technique on surfaces better than anyone. He played the ball much later, he left the ball much better, and you knew that after an hour or so, if he is on 30/35 balls, it could be a long day for you,” he said.

As for Bumrah, he is currently touring England for a five-match Test series that India is leading 1-0. While the first Test was drawn as rain played villain, the second Test saw the visitors bounce back in style to trounce the English at Lord’s.