'Could be that Umran had a spat with SRH management': Sehwag, Gavaskar baffled at Markram's 'behind the scene' remark
While bigger things were expected in 2023 IPL season, all Umran managed was just seven appearances of SRH's 13 matches this season where he bowled only 17 overs
2022 was the year for Umran Malik. He was the find of the previous IPL season where he had picked 22 wickets to stand among the contenders for the Purple Cap while world cricket impressed with his raw pace and wicket-taking abilities. He soon made the Indian team thereafter. And although he did not manage to crack into the T20 World Cup side, bigger things were expected in 2023 IPL season. But all he managed was just seven appearances of SRH's 13 matches this season where he bowled only 17 overs, implying he wasn't even used for his full quota of four overs in a game. And as veterans and experts wondered the reason behind SRH not trusting Umran enough with the ball, captain Aiden Markram delivered a bizarre reason that reminded Virender Sehwag and Rohan Gavaskar of David Warner.
At toss on Thursday, Markram was asked by Ian Bishop as the reason behind SRH continuously not selecting Umran in the XI. The South Africa international said: “Not too sure to be honest. Certainly, he's a player with the X factor, bowls at 150kph, but I don't really what's about behind the scenes but he has a lot of X factor.”
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The bizarre reason angered most fans while others were left puzzled at the statement. Sehwag, in conversation with Cricbuzz, looked to decipher the meaning of ‘behind the scenes’ phrase as he opined that probably Umran had a spat with the management owing to which he has been asked to warn the bench. He further criticised the young bowler for not doing much with the ball as well in the limited opportunities he got.
“I feel you can do anything behind the scene that is your life, you if you are performing in the ground and you are working hard for it, that is important for me. When I was the coach or mentor, I believed that when you in the ground I want to 100 per cent effort from you, off the field what you do, I have not meaning in that, that is your life. I truly did not understand what 'behind the scene' meant. It could be that he (Umran) had a fight with the management or maybe there was an argument, then that is bad. You were given an opportunity, you did not perform, now you have to wait until your next chance. You should shut the mouths with your performance,” he said.
When pressed about the “behind the scenes” phrase further, Sehwag revealed that it reminded him of Warner who had spoken much on the same lines during his stay at the SRH franchise.
“I think something similar was said by David Warner as well. This was the same language, only Markram put it in a better way,” he said.
Gavaskar, who was also part of the discussion, opined that it could be Markram was asked not to pick Umran without being given a proper season and the skipper only followed what has been asked of him.
“Probably Markram genuinely doesn't know why Umran has been dropped or he maybe told not to pick him. And when Markram has been provided with no reason then what else will he say,” he said.
SRH still have one more game to play, against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on May 21 and probably the management would want to give Umran a final chance.