File image of SRH pacer Umran Malik© BCCI/IPL
Umran Malik was a revelation at the IPL 2022. With the express pace at his disposal, the 24-year-old pacer impressed all. From Brett Lee to Shoaib Akhtar, every great speed merchant took note of him. Some even asked the BCCI to fast-track him into playing side. He did make his international debuts in the T20I and ODI formats. However, the IPL 2023 has not been kind to Umran in the SunRisers Hyderabad ranks. This year he has played just seven games, taking five wickets at an economy of 10.35 per over. He last played a game for SRH on April 29 and is yet to play a game this month.
This has baffled former India star Irfan Pathan, who was earlier associated with the Jammu and Kashmir state team where Umran plays.
“League’s fastest bowler sitting out baffles me. Umran Malik wasn’t handled well by his team,” Irfan Pathan wrote in a tweet.
League’s fastest bowler sitting out baffles me. Umran Malik wasn’t handled well by his team.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) May 13, 2023
Even Brett Lee in a recent interaction organised by Jio Cinema, broadcasters of the IPL, suggested SRH to use him properly.
“You’ve mentioned Umran Malik. I think the thing about Sunrisers Hyderabad is that I don’t think they have used their bowlers in the right positions so I would love to see Umran Malik in the powerplay. He has bowled once in a powerplay this season and he went for 20-odd runs but that was a one-off case. It’s almost like saying to a batsman that you have to bat but if you get a duck you never going to bat ever again. You need to have faith and you need to have a commitment in these guys coming through. I would always give the fast bowler in IPL a brand new ball and give him the correct field, giving him the confidence to run and bowl the old ball,” he said
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