‘Don’t concentrate where ball land, bowl fast’ – Ishant Sharma’s words of advise for young Indian pace sensation
Ishant Sharma with advice for Umran Malik (Source: Twitter)
Umran Malik’s arrival was a breath of fresh air for the Indian pace department. Malik provides express pace, a rare commodity in Indian cricket, with a devastating pace. He was swiftly incorporated into the Indian team for the limited-overs formats due to his outstanding performance for Hyderabad in the Indian T20 League (ITL). He has so far taken 13 wickets in eight ODIs and eight T20Is (11 wickets). He has, however, frequently erred in both line and length. In ODIs, his RPO is 6.45, while in T20Is, it is 10.48.
Ishant Sharma, a seasoned Indian pacer, has counseled Umran to focus more on his pace and to avoid being overly concerned with his line. “He shouldn’t worry about where the deliveries land. With experience, he will understand. So, if he can bowl at 150 or 160, he should concentrate only on that. He should just back himself and should not worry about leaking runs. What is the use of bowling that fast if the batters don’t end up closing their eyes in fear? So someone should tell him and give him the confidence that you have to bowl so fast that batters fail to see it,” Ishant Sharma said on the show called ‘Rise Of New India.’
Shoaib Akhtar also had words of advice for Umran Malik
Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistani speed bowler, has stated that Umran Malik breaking his record for the quickest delivery in international cricket would make him quite happy.
“I would take 26 yards to bowl. But Umran takes 20 yards. So when he goes to 26 yards, he will have different muscles. I am sure in times to come, he will learn. If he needs any help, I am always there for him. If he wants to break my record, please take it away. It’s been 20 years, and it hasn’t been broken; please break it. I will be the first guy to hug and kiss you,” Akhtar said.
“He is very good. He is very strong and has a powerful run-up. He has nice arm speed. So Umran, bowl courageously and learn the art of bowling quickly. Learn the art of taking wickets. Even if you are getting beaten a lot, don’t reduce your speed and aggression. Always bowl fast, and never leave it. When you go to the field, the ownership of the ground has to be yours. Don’t break and train a lot,” he added.
