Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop, an express speedster of his times, says Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) quick Umran Malik is “nowhere near” a finished article. Bishop, however, recognises Malik as a “quick learner” who is on the right track as far as marrying consistency with pace is concerned.
Malik, retained by SRH despite being a raw uncapped Indian fast-bowler from Jammu and Kashmir, has built on his strengths and developed greater control as the IPL 2022 has gone deeper.
The pacer has caught everyone’s attention by consistently clocking above the 150 kmph mark. But it is the added discipline to his bowling that has marked Malik as a bowler of fine potential in the IPL and the international level.
The 22-year-old has picked up a whopping 21 wickets from his 13 innings with an economy rate of 8.94, playing the role of a middle-overs enforcer for the 2016 champions. On May 17, he bagged figures of 3 for 23 to help SRH clinch their must-win game against the Mumbai Indians.
“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 told Sportstar.
Bishop said what augurs well with Malik is his attitude on the field, as he runs in hard every ball irrespective of how the previous one went for him and the boundary he may have conceded.
The renowned commentator said it’s important for people outside to not burden Malik with great expectations too early in his career, calling him a “work in progress” who will have his share of bad days.
Bishop said he would advise the SRH bowler to stick to his guns without worrying about the immediate results on the field.
“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,”
he added.
