Cricketer-turned-commentators Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen were baffled by Umran Malik’s strategy to bowl against Phil Salt and Mitchell Marsh as he found no clue against Delhi Capitals batter. The 23-year-old conceded 22 runs in his overs shifting the momentum in the favour of the Delhi side.
Umran Malik was introduced to bowling right after the powerplay, and the move proved to be a terrible one for the Aiden Markram side as he could not change his plan against well-settled Delhi batters, as he bowled with high pace rather than changing his length or pace in the overs.
Ravi Shastri, who was seen commentating along former England Skipper was disappointed with Jammu Express as he gave easy runs for the opponent and reckoned that experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar should have guided him, on how to bowl on these kinds of surfaces and was miffed about his strategy to bowl in the same length for four consecutive balls.
“He just played into the hands of the opposition. He needs someone like a Bhuvneshwar Kumar next to him to tell him what exactly needs to be done. You can still go for runs but you need to alter the length. You come out there and bowl four deliveries, all the same length, wrong line and he has gone for 17 runs already,” Ravi Shastri said on air.
“He can even try cross-seam. In a situation like this when you don’t have the confidence and you don’t know where it is going, go cross seam and full and into the stumps,” he said.
Ravi Shastri said that Umran Malik could have tried a few cross seam balls in the over, as the cross seam was stock balls for many pacers in this edition of the Indian Premier League as the batters find it difficult to pick the pace of the ball in the cross seam.
What Umran Malik Is Doing Here Is Not Good – Kevin Pietersen
Former England Skipper Kevin Pietersen was not too impressed with Umran Malik, as he didn’t take a clue from Delhi Capitals bowling, where Mitchell Marsh took four wickets bowling the slower balls stating that pace-off balls will be key on this kind of surface to deceive the batters as the Australian all-rounders bowled many slower balls and leg cutters in his four overs.
” He should have understood what Mitch Marsh did with great success. What Umran Malik is doing here is not good. Take the pace off! “It was completely wrong. Every single delivery was on speed again. Where were all of Mitch Marsh’s wickets? All were slower balls and leg cutters. It is not that difficult to understand what someone else from the opposition did which was successful,” Kevin Pietersen said.
The right-arm pacer enjoyed a stellar season in the Indian Premier League 2022 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking 18 wickets in the competition but could not find his rhythm in 2023 as picked only five wickets in seven games for the Aiden Markram-side.