IND vs SL: 'The Uniqueness That He Carried, I Don't See That In Umran Malik'- Salman Butt Gives A Candid Assessment On India Pacer's Chances Of Breaking Shoaib Akhtar's Record

Umran Malik’s pace was all everyone could speak about when he first appeared in the IPL in 2021. A season later, when he recorded a speed of 157 kmph while playing against Delhi Capitals, there were more than just calls from legends and experts to put the kid in the Indian side.

Shoaib Akhtar had become a point of reference. And when he plays for the Indian team today, the conversation expands with each of his noteworthy performances. Salman Butt, a former captain of Pakistan, however, made a pretty direct comment when he compared Umran Malik to Akhtar and used the example of Sachin Tendulkar.

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Salman Butt Feels Umran Malik Far Away From Shoaib Akhtar’s Prowess

Umran Malik has been constantly exceeding 150 kph. The most recent was when he struck skipper Dasun Shanaka with a fireball that travelled at 155 kph and sent the batter back to the dugout during the T20I series versus Sri Lanka.

When asked if Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Umran could surpass Akhtar’s record, Salman responded on his YouTube channel by saying neither of them even came close to the great pacer’s prowess.

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According to the former Pakistani batter, although Akhtar has played in all three forms and has routinely achieved speeds well over 155 kmph, the two young players have not yet demonstrated their “uniqueness.”

“As of now, they both are far from Shoaib’s record. But again, records are meant to be broken. So who knows. But Shoaib used to play all the three formats and used to bowl long spells. He was just not fast, he was a clever bowler. He know how to dismiss batters, even in Test cricket.

Even when he was 39 years of age, when he played his last game in India. he clocked 159. He could bowl that fast even with a six-step run-up. The uniqueness that he carried, I don’t see that in Umran or Haris. But they are both young so anything can happen.

But I just want to remind that whom we are comparing with. It’s like stating that if a batter scores hattrick of tons, then we say he might break Sachin’s record. That’s 100 centuries. People don’t even play that many matches in their career. May be they can bowl one-two deliveries of that speed, but will they become that big a bowler only time will tell,” he explained.

Also Read: IND vs SL: ‘That’s The First Thing I Saw With Sachin Tendulkar’- Brian Lara’s Huge Remark On Indian Legend

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