Former West Indies pacer and cricket expert Ian Bishop heaped praises on Sunrisers Hyderabad’s sensational speedster Umran Malik and said he has enjoyed watching the youngster play in IPL 2022. Malik’s performance has grabbed everyone’s attention in the cricket fraternity and he has emerged as one of the new frontrunners to be picked for the Indian squad. Malik holds the ability to clock his deliveries at speeds above 150 kph consistently, and also holds the record for the fastest delivery of IPL 2022 as he produced a 157 kmph delivery while playing against the Delhi Capitals. In 12 matches, Malik has bagged 18 wickets. He registered 5/25 as his best figures of the season while playing against the Gujarat Titans.
“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. “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,” Bishop added.
The Jammu Kashmir youngster grabbed all the limelight recently, but for good reasons. A recent report about India’s upcoming contest against England and South Africa had mentioned that Umran Malik might get a chance to don the national jersey during the T20Is against the Proteas. Bishop believes that Malik is a ‘work-in-progress’ and a lot is yet to come from him. “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 concluded.
