“Nowhere Near The Finished Article”: West Indies Great On Paceman Umran Malik

Umran Malik’s stunning performance for SunRisers Hyderabad has made him a great prospect for the Indian cricket team.

The 22-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir has been hailed as the next big thing in Indian pace bowling scenario. So far, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Malik has scalped 18 wickets in 12 matches.

He has been clocking great speeds too, and has bowled the quickest delivery this season – 157kmph – in a match against Delhi Capitals. His performance has led many to believe that he must be fast-tracked into the Indian cricket team, especially with the T20 World Cup coming up in five months’ time.

Former West Indies cricket team pacer Ian Bishop is highly impressed with Malik’s show.

“Malik’s pace distinguishes him from every other bowler around the country and beyond now. It has been heartening watching his control improve as the IPL has gone along. He is adding control and know-how to his skill set without losing velocity,” Bishop said in an interview to Sportstar.

“He seems to be a quick learner and a very hard worker who is not overawed by the boundary hitting power of the modern batsman. He gets hit for boundaries and keeps running in harder. That is a great attitude to have.

“It helps to have a short memory in the T20 format as a fast bowler. Forget the inevitable bad over or bad games as quickly as possible and keep striving for a good performance with a smile and joy. It is important though to acknowledge that Malik is still a work in progress. He is nowhere near the finished article,” added Bishop, who played 43 Tests and 84 ODIs for West Indies.