If Umran Malik works with Dale Steyn, he could definitely be one of the best India could produce: Brian Lara

Umran Malik. (Photo Source: RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

Legendary batter Brian Lara has offered some invaluable advice to the budding Indian fast bowler, Umran Malik. Following a standout performance in the IPL 2022, where he stunned everyone with his raw pace, Malik’s career graph seemed all set to go high.

Even former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar dubbed him as the most promising prospect since the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. However, Malik’s journey donning the Indian jersey has been a bit shaky, and his IPL 2023 campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad proved underwhelming, leading to irregular appearances in the XI.

Brian Lara, formerly the head coach of SRH, shared his words of wisdom about the young pacer, emphasizing the importance of adding diversity to his bowling arsenal.

“He will be a sensation, but very quickly he will have to learn that fast bowling really does not trouble the best players in the world. You have to have the ability to do something with the ball,” Lara stated during a session on the YouTube channel ‘Wake Up With Sorabh.’

Malik’s raw pace, though impressive, must be complemented with a range of skills and tactics to outsmart seasoned batters. Lara suggests that if Malik speaks with the South African bowling maestro Dale Steyn, the results could be brilliant. Acknowledging Malik’s potent pace, Lara underlined the importance of introducing variety to his bowling arsenal, a quality shared by cricket legends like Wasim Akram, Michael Holding, and Malcolm Marshall.

“We have had so many different examples. Wasim Akram was raw pace, Malcolm Marshall had destructive pace, and Michael Holding. But they all know that at some point in time, they have had to come up with a lot more tricks than just being able to bowl fast. If he (Umran Malik) works with Dale Steyn, he could definitely be one of the best India could produce,” Lara said.

Having debuted for India in 2022 during the T20Is against Ireland, Malik has displayed promise, securing 11 wickets in 8 T20Is and 13 wickets in 10 ODIs.