Wasim Akram, a former captain of Pakistan, supported Umran Malik, a phenomenal young player from India, as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement for the forthcoming T20 World Cup in 2022. Malik has only participated in three international games thus far and made his T20I debut earlier this year. Mohammed Shami and Mohammad Siraj are the players vying to take Bumrah’s place in the lineup, but Akram thought Malik would be a better choice. Since Bumrah was disqualified from competing in the World Cup, other candidates have surfaced to take his place. Because of Siraj’s dismal performances and Shami’s fitness worries, Deepak Chahar, who had been outstanding since his return, was listed as a reserve player but had a good chance of making the main squad. But Chahar also encountered a problem and was forced to withdraw due to an injury.
Shami and Siraj are the front-runners to replace Bumrah on the team, and rumours have it that the two will travel to Australia to play for the Indian side. However, Akram wants Umran Malik to be a part of the team. “You see that guy? Umran Malik… he is quick. India took him to Ireland and he got hammered. It happens in T20, but you got to stick with him. If I were in the think tank, then I will have him in the squad all the time. The more he plays, the better he will become. Experience in Twenty20 matters a lot,” Akram said. Umran Malik was selected to travel to Australia as one of the net bowlers, along with Kuldeep Sen, but the 22-year-old is still awaiting a flight due to visa issues. The remaining 14 members of the Team India squad have begun practising in Perth. Malik’s prospects of competing in the World Cup, though, are progressively decreasing as time goes on.
Malik has lots of pace, but many pundits think the young midfielder needs to be much more consistent with his line and length before being given a sustained run with the Indian team. Speaking on the matter, Akram noted that Umran’s predicament is similar to others where bowlers must be prepared to take hits, especially in T20Is. “Unfortunately, the Twenty20 format is not for bowlers. The format is the need of the hour, it is entertaining and it’s picked up worldwide. Bowlers should understand that they will be hammered once in a while, which they do now. Flat decks become one-dimensional. The pitches in Dubai offered a bit for the bowlers and once it is set then the next day it is better for batters. That should be the future of the format,” Akram added.
