Sanjay Manjrekar Shares A Special Message For Umran Malik

Updated - 29 Jun 2022, 06:09 PM

Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian batsman, advised Umran Malik, a rookie fast bowler, to improve his accuracy but emphasised that he shouldn’t sacrifice his speed at any cost.

In the two-match T20I series against Ireland in Dublin, which ended on Tuesday, the 22-year-old made his international debut (on June 26). He struggled, giving up 56 runs in five overs at an 11.20 economy rate.

In the second T20I, Malik bowled the final over, with Ireland needing 17 runs to win. Although he went for a few boundaries, he remained composed and only allowed 12 runs to be scored. Manjrekar hailed the youthful bowler despite the conflicting outcomes.

Hardik Pandya and Umran Malik. PC-Twitter
Hardik Pandya and Umran Malik. PC-Twitter

Umran Malik Must Not Compromise On His Pace: Sanjay Manjrekar

He posted on Twitter after considering his performance in the T20Is against Ireland: “What a rare talent Umran Malik is! All he needs to do in practice is bowl a million balls aimed at one stump. Accuracy & other skills will come in time. But NEVER should it come at the cost of pace. #UmranMalik.”

Malik, a skilled fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir, was selected for the Indian T20I team for the domestic series against South Africa following a strong performance in the IPL 2022.

Hardik Pandya, Umran Malik
Hardik Pandya, Umran Malik. (Photo: Twitter)

The right-handed pacer, playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), took 22 wickets in 14 games at a strike rate of 13.41. Throughout the competition, he continuously exceeded the 150 kmph threshold.

Hardik Pandya, the captain, gave an explanation during the post-game press conference as to why Malik bowled the final over. He stated: “I was trying to keep all the pressure out of my equation. I wanted to be in the present and I backed Umran. He has pace, with his pace it’s always going to be tough to get 18 runs (17). They (Ireland) played some amazing shots, they batted very well, credit to them and credit to our bowlers for holding their nerves.”

Umran Malik would hope to improve as he plays more games.

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India National Cricket Team Sanjay Manjrekar