Irfan Pathan has revealed that he always tells Umran Malik to work on improving his line and length without compromising on his pace.
Umran Malik has been picked in Team India’s 18-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa based on his performances in IPL 2022. The express pacer, who scalped 22 wickets for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
Irfan Pathan Urges Umran Malik To Pay Attention To Line And Length Without Compromising Pace
During a discussion, Irfan Pathan was asked about the message he has given to pace sensation Umran Malik.
He responded: “I always tell him that you have to pay attention to your line and length but you should not reduce your pace at all. The more he tries to keep the ball close to the three stumps and keeps on bowling the hard length, everything else will come with time.”
The former Indian pacer also shared the process every budding cricketer, including Umran Malik, needs to follow to be successful at the international level.
Irfan Pathan elaborated: “I have just a simple advice for him after every match, whether it was in the IPL or will be going forward – what you have done well today and where you have to improve. This process has to be there till he or anyone else plays cricket. We have seen Sachin Tendulkar follow this process although no one else has had a career like him.”
Ravi Shastri also recently spoke about the advice he would give Umran Malik. The former Team India head coach wants the pacer to concentrate more on his line and pointed out that his length is almost perfect.
Umran Malik Has Still A Lot Of Things To Work On
Sunrisers Hyderabad pace sensation Umran Malik has been one of the finds of the 15th season of the cash-rich league. He has impressed the selectors not just with his raw pace, clocking consistently over 150 kph, but also with his wicket-taking abilities.
In 14 games this season, he has picked 22 wickets for SRH at a strike rate of just 13.57 and an economy rate of 9.03. Umran Malik, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s leading wicket-taker this season had picked 22 scalps from 14 IPL 2022 games averaging an impressive 20.18 with a best of 5/25.
Irfan Pathan also shared some of the areas of improvement for Umran Malik, explaining: “He still has a lot of things to work on, whether we talk about the slower one or bowling to the right-left combination. His seam remains straight and he talks about slight outswing, but that will take time.”
Umran Malik’s mentor also spoke about the discussions he has had with the coaches and selectors at various levels about the Jammu and Kashmir speedster.
Irfan Pathan said: “If you still see his background, he has not played much first-class cricket. Whenever I have spoken to India-A coaches or the ones at the higher level or the selectors, when they ask me I only say about Umran that back him when is not doing well and push him when he is doing well.”
Umran Malik will hope to get his maiden Team India cap in the forthcoming T20I series against the Proteas. The express pacer could be in the reckoning for a spot in the Men in Blue’s 2022 T20I World Cup squad if he gives a decent account of himself against the visiting South Africans. India has won 12 successive T20Is, matching Afghanistan’s record. If India defeats South Africa in the first T20I, they will make history.