IND vs NZ: “This Kind Of Exposure Is Definitely Going To Help Umran Malik” – Zaheer Khan On Pacer Being Part Of India Tour Of New Zealand

Former India National Cricket Team left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan has stated that being part of the India tour of New Zealand 2022 will definitely help Umran Malik to grow further in his career.

The Jammu and Kashmir express pacer Umran Malik, who has the ability to bowl the deliveries consistently at over 150kmph, had a breakthrough season in IPL 2022. He bagged 22 wickets in 14 games in IPL 2022 at an average of 20.18, an economy of 9.03, and a strike rate of 13.40, including a four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul.

Umran Malik
Umran Malik. Image: BCCI/Twitter

After his impressive show with the ball in the Indian Premier League, the pacer got his India T20I call-up. However, after a short 3-match run, he was dropped from the team as he failed to leave a mark at the international level.

The 22-year-old has received a re-call for the upcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand in the absence of several senior players.

Speaking ahead of the T20I series between India and New Zealand, Zaheer said that having variety in the pace attack is a must for every team in the world. While talking about Umran, Zaheer said that he is an absolutely exciting talent.

Zaheer Khan for MI. Photo- Twitter
Zaheer Khan for MI. Photo- Twitter

“The variety in your pace attack is a must and you have seen teams following that kind of pattern. You need a left-arm bowler, you need someone who can swing the ball, you need someone who is an out-and-out fast bowler. If everything is in one package, then even better but if not, you would like to use the variety in your attack in the bowling lineup and use different conditions well. Umran has been a very exciting talent and this kind of exposure is definitely going to help him, it is about how he takes things forward if he wants to grab the spot consistently,” Zaheer told a select group of journalists during a call organised by Prime Video.

This is an opportunity for Umran Malik, hopefully, he will learn from this exposure – Ravi Shastri

IND vs NZ: “This Kind Of Exposure Is Definitely Going To Help Umran Malik” – Zaheer Khan On Pacer Being Part Of India Tour Of New Zealand
PC – Twitter

Former India National Cricket Team head coach Ravi Shastri opined that Team India missed the trick by not including the Jammu and Kashmir express pacer, Umran Malik, in their 15-member ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 squad. He was also hopeful that the youngster will learn from the New Zealand tour exposure.

“He is one of the fastest bowlers in India and you saw what happened in the World Cup where genuine pace rattled opposition, whether it was Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Anrich Nortje. So, there is no substitute for genuine pace. Even if you are defending small totals, so this is an opportunity for Umran, hopefully, he will learn from this exposure,” he said.

The India tour of New Zealand 2022 consists of a three-match ODI series and a three-match T20I series. The T20Is will be played on November 18, 20, and 22. The ODIs will be played on November 25, 27, and 30.

Also Read: IND vs NZ: Ravi Shastri, Zaheer Khan Share Their Views On Whether It Is Important For Indian Players To Play Overseas Franchise Leagues

 

Sonanchal Gautam is the Assistant Content Manager at Cricketaddictor. He is a professional Wrestling and Hip-hop enthusiast.