Umran Malik's admirers seem to grow with every match that he plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), even on occasions when he has bad outings. The express pace that he manages to generate has led to former Pakistan pace great Shoaib Akhtar saying that he would like to see Umran break his record for the fastest recorded ball of all time.
Meanwhile, former Australia pacer Brett Lee, who was along with Shoaib considered among the fastest bowlers of his generation, has said that the pace that Umran is able to generate shows the natural talent he has.
"That is real quick, trust me. I know what it is like to bowl over 150kph. It hurts. This guy is a gun. He has pushed that speed gun's needle right up to the 160kph mark," Lee said on his YouTube channel.
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"For me, it is all about the approach. When you look at an aeroplane take off, what do you see first and foremost. It is the approach, the build up of speed and then it takes off. That is what makes a good fast bowler. The approach, you see him about 35m away from the batter. He gets going, pumps the arms and legs, runs in like a sprinter and then delivers that ball at a fearful pace. That is what I love about him," he said.
Umran has taken 21 wickets in 13 matches this season. He had gone wicketless in three back to back matches in his last six matches but then has taken three wickets in his last two of those games.
{{/usCountry}}Umran has taken 21 wickets in 13 matches this season. He had gone wicketless in three back to back matches in his last six matches but then has taken three wickets in his last two of those games.
{{/usCountry}}"Yes, he has been expensive in a few matches but he is only 22 years of age. So I am not worried about that. My advice to Umran right now is to just run in and bowl as fast as you can. Yes, the action is perfect, I wouldn't change it. It think he has got some more speed up his sleeve. One thing you cannot take away from this young fellow is his raw pace. People die to bowl over 140kph, this guy does it easily. If I were to meet Umran, what would I tell him? I would just tell him to keep doing what he does. Enjoy bowling fast. You can see the look on his face, the passion and the raw love he has for bowling fast.
"The reason why it is so exciting is that it is so hard to do. It is such a natural talent. I have not met this guy yet but I promise you that at school, he was a fast runner," said Lee.