Umran Malik has been a media darling ever since he first appeared in the Indian Premier League (IPL) a few seasons back. Perhaps India’s quickest bowler, Malik made his international debut in one-day and twenty-over matches in 2022. Even though he hasn’t exactly gotten off to a roaring start in international cricket, he has the potential to spearhead India’s pace attack in the years to come.
Umran Malik’s regular ability to bowl at above 150 kilometres per hour has earned him praise from all corners of the cricketing world. He won the distinction for quickest delivery in almost every game he participated in with the Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL 2022. That’s what caught the eye of the selectors, who ultimately gave him a spot on the national team.
The teenager frustrated former Australian great Brett Lee for not finding a spot in the team’s playing combination in the just-finished ODI series against Australia. In all three games, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj started for India, while Malik sat on the bench. When India played with three pacers, Shardul Thakur got the nod over Malik.
What did Brett Lee say about Umran Malik?
“Umran Malik is a wonderful bowler. He is a special talent. If his workload is taken care of properly, he will do wonders. I believe he (Umran) can play all three formats of the game. We must manage him correctly,” Lee told The Times of India.
Brett Lee believed that the Indian team, rather than sometimes resting him, should allow Malik an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities across forms on a more consistent basis.
Malik has played in 8 T20Is for India and the same number of ODIs, and he has taken 11 and 13 wickets in those games, respectively. Lee thinks Indian captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid would do well to have Malik focus on his speed and core strength conditioning so that he may mature into a quality pacer in the future.
“The best way to manage him correctly is to allow him to bowl, give him as many games as possible, don’t rest him in every second game. Just don’t let him go into the gym more and lift heavy weights. He should do light muscle mass in the gym which is important for him. He should work on his sprinting and obviously his core strengthening,” he added.
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