Umran Malik has been one of the latest revelations for Team India, especially in the longer formats of the game. Initially, scouted in the IPL, Malik went on to be a lot fiercer for the Men in Blue in ODIs, chipping in with wickets constantly, especially in the middle overs.
The fast bowler has been heaped praises upon from several cricketing pundits due to his raw pace and brutal aggression. In his fast-growing list of admirers, the latest addition was that of former Indian bowling coach, Bharat Arun.
After Umran Malik’s sizzling display against Sri Lanka in the ODI series, the Men in Blue have started believing a lot more in the budding quick as not only did he clock those rampant numbers of 155 or 156 odd kays but he was also amongst wickets that helped Team India to bag a handful of crucial breakthroughs in the clutch junctures of the games.
Talking to News24, Bharat Arun said, “Umran Malik is a great find for India. Somebody who bowls 150-plus consistently. He is a huge talent for India and we need to nurture this talent. We have the option of making him a very good bowler for India in the future. For fast bowling, physical fitness and skill is 50-50. He needs to work on both to maximise his potential, with consistency. He needs to work on these both things.”
“If you work on your action, your line and length will get better and speed will increase as well. To increase the pace, drills can be helpful and workload monitoring is also important. Any bowler can increase the pace by 5 kmph easily with the kind of work (when questioned if he can break Akhtar’s 161 kmph record). But if someone is bowling 125, can’t make it 150. Some putting 135, can make it 140. Some bowling 140, can make it 145. But you cannot increase too much”, concluded Bharat Arun.
