Mumbai, April 28
Australia cricketer Chris Lynn said that he would love to see Sunrisers Hyderabad's tearaway pacer Umran Malik in India's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup later in the year.
Lynn added that the bounce and pace in pitches of Australia, the host nation of Men's T20 World Cup 2022, would suit Malik's style of bowling.
Malik's career has been on a fast upswing since coming in as a Covid-19 replacement for T Natarajan in the second half of IPL 2021 and instantly made an impression with his raw pace rattling the batters.
Malik's stunning show led to him being added as a net bowler for the Indian team in the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup in UAE and toured South Africa later in the year as the member of the India 'A' team. Though Malik's start to IPL 2022 was expensive, he fought back with wickets in last three matches, including a fiery 5/25 against Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
"From the outside looking in, definitely. I will factor the wickets are bouncy here in Australia and you need I suppose that youth and just that guys haven't played against it. You keep going back to whom you drop because it is such a formidable (bowling) line-up, but would love to see this guy in the World Cup. He's going to take the world by the storm if he does get a chance at the international level. It is lucky that I am not a selector for India," said Lynn on ESPNCricinfo's T20 Time Out show.
In the match against Gujarat, which Hyderabad lost sensationally by five wickets, Malik consistently bowled at 145kmph and even went past the 150kmph mark occasionally. He ratted the stumps of Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, David Miller and Abhinav Manohar while forcing Hardik Pandya to pull a short ball, which took a top-edge to third man.
The improvement in Malik's control over line and length has left Lynn impressed.
"The fact that he's learning quickly as well is probably (what) impressed me more than anything. He has always got that raw pace, but it is all about that cricket IQ now which is developing every game and he is very, very impressive."
With his first five-wicket haul in IPL, Malik's tally in the ongoing tournament has gone to 15, on par with Natarajan and just three behind table-topper Yuzvendra Chahal. Former New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori feels that Malik's workload has to be managed well by the Indian team management to preserve the exciting young pacer's energy for future.
"Potentially. It might be the best thing for him coming under the umbrella of the BCCI or the NCA, and they can manage his workloads, because there is a temptation for a player of his pace to keep bowling. I am reflecting on my conversation with Shane Bond and the fact that he thought the more you bowled, the slower you got."
"In the subcontinent, you are used as a net bowler, you are going on tours and things like that. So the workload could get a bit much. This is a gem here and it's just how it's looked after in the next couple of years for Indian cricket and how to get the best out of him."
