'He is nowhere near the finished article': Umran Malik's 'attitude' impresses former West Indies pacer
The ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a breakout season for many fresh talents, with Sunrisers Hyderabad speedster Umran Malik hogging a fair amount of limelight. The 22-year-old pacer has constantly been clocking the 150kmph mark and has managed 18 scalps from 12 outings. (IPL 2022 full coverage)
Malik's economy, which is slightly above nine runs per over, has been a worrying sign, an area that needs improvement as pointed out by many experts. However, Windies great Ian Bishop feels otherwise and rated Malik's breathtaking pace as his identification mark that 'distinguishes him from every other bowler around the country.'
Sharing his thoughts on the 22-year-old, Bishop in an interaction with Sportstar said: "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."
The cricketer-turned-commentator also lauded Malik's attitude of not getting affected 'by the boundary hitting power of the modern batsman.'
"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," Bishop further stated.
Malik had completed his maiden five-wicket haul earlier in the season against Gujarat Titans. In SRH's previous encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders, the pacer had claimed three wickets in his four overs. With SRH locking horns with Mumbai Indians on Tuesday evening, Malik will hope for another solid outing as the league stage enters into its closing phase.
