"He will have to learn that fast bowling really does not trouble the best players in the world" - Brian Lara on Umran Malik
Former SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) head coach Brian Lara recently stated that tearaway Indian fast bowler Umran Malik cannot just rely on his express pace in international cricket.
Lara reckons that while speed will give Umran early success, he will need other options in his repertoire to trouble the batters at the highest level. He suggested that the talented youngster is still in the early stages of his career and will get better with time.
Speaking on the YouTube channel 'Wake Up With Sorabh', Brian Lara explained:
"He (Umran Malik) 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, be sensible, and maybe understand times when you have to trickle back or understand the times when you have to up the tempo. He is very young and has got a lot of years ahead of him."
Lara has worked closely with Umran Malik in the SRH camp the last couple of years in the IPL.
The Hyderabad-based franchise recently parted ways with the legendary batter. They have roped in Daniel Vettori as the new head coach ahead of next year's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"If he works with Dale Steyn, he could definitely be one of the best India could produce" - Brian Lara's suggestion for Umran Malik
In the same video, Brian Lara further said Umran Malik could emerge as a force to reckon with if he continues to work alongside SRH's fast bowling coach Dale Steyn. He also gave the example of some of the most successful speedsters in world cricket who had many different tricks up their sleeves.
Lara elaborated:
"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 had to come 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."
Umran is currently part of India's squad for the ongoing five-match T20I series against West Indies. However, he didn't get to feature in the playing XI for the first three fixtures.