Umran Malik has gone from strength to strength in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He ranks among the fastest pacers in the league, alongside seasoned internationals like Lockie Ferguson and Anrich Nortje. His fastest ball of the season at 153.3 kmph came against Gujarat Titans, and he has one five-fer and one four-fer as well, pushing him to third on the Purple Cap standings with 15 scalps under his belt.
Having been noticed by many former cricketers and pundits of the game, Umran's prowess has pushed him into contention for a place in the national team. One such former bowling star is India's former World Cup-winning pacer Munaf Patel, who believes that the BCCI need to take good care of him to increase his longevity.
"It is a natural reaction if somebody comes up from a small place where there is no infrastructure. Umran has come up the same way I did. You need to take good care of him. He will last long only if the BCCI does that," wrote Munaf in a column for the Indian Express.
"The BCCI should not wait for him to perform in the domestic circuit and then bring him into the Indian team. You take him as the 17th member of the squad if you want, but do take him along. He will learn about the culture and various situations and will learn to adapt if he stays around with everyone. It is something that has to be done," he added.
Munaf also lauded the IPL for unearthing talents like Umran, especially the ones who belong to remote places in India, "It is so good to see such kids getting opportunities in the IPL. The scouts that go out to spot talent… It feels good that the world’s biggest league is benefitting our players, especially those who come from small places. Otherwise, who knows how he would have come in and where he would have played. Now he is the league’s fastest bowler, and that makes me very happy."
Umran's bowling coach for the season is the South African legend Dale Steyn. Steyn has worked closely with Umran to improve his line and lengths, and his work has paid dividends as well. "Dale Steyn is with him right now, so he will get to learn a lot. That will make a huge difference. Steyn is a genuine man, he is not egoistic. And he used to bowl 145 himself. Whatever he can pick up from Steyn, he should," advised the 38-year-old.
"If he can focus more on line and length as Steyn had, then no one can stop him, and the rest is then down to his fitness. You will have to sacrifice some pace. Firstly you have to bowl in our conditions, which are not ideal for fast bowling. You either have to make it reverse or bowl with the new ball, that’s it. Most of the work is done by the spinners," he added.
