CHENNAI: Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik has been the stand-out pacer of this IPL so far. The 22-year-old from Jammu & Kashmir has clocked speeds in excess of 150 kph on a regular basis and topped that with yorkers that have tested the batters.
Former Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath – currently in India in his capacity as director of the MRF Pace Foundation – felt that the selectors will be tracking the youngster closely. Umran had trained at the pace foundation during the 2018-19 season. “I am sure the selectors will be very interested in him. They would love to have someone bowling at that pace for your country. Bowling a yorker is a lot tougher and the fact that he is able to bowl one at that pace makes him very dangerous,” McGrath said.
However, McGrath has a word of caution. “Pace is important but it’s not everything. You don’t want someone bowling 150 kmph and spraying it down the leg side or bowling wide. So, you have got to have that control. Mitchell Johnson was an example of someone who had sheer pace with control and he became such a dangerous bowler,” McGrath said.
While Umran has been hogging the limelight, India’s premier pacer — Jasprit Bumrah — hasn’t had the best of times with Mumbai Indians. Bumrah has managed just 4 wickets from 7 games. McGrath doesn’t want to read too much into it. “I think, batsmen are a lot more watchful against him these days and not letting him take wickets. But as a bowler, you want to take wickets, so it’s more of a mental game now. He is a quality bowler and very intelligent. I expect him to bounce back strongly,” he said.
McGrath, who has been with the pace foundation for the last 10 years, is pleased with the progress India has made with its fast bowling resources. “It’s always been good batting conditions and bowling conditions for spinners here. But what I have heard is that the pitches (in India) are little different now and there is more in it for the pacers which is great. It’s a combination of different attitudes and different conditions which have helped fast bowlers. When you have a strong bowling line-up in your national team, it filters down with more people wanting to become fast bowlers as well,” the 52-year-old said.
McGrath paid rich tributes to his former teammate Shane Warne who passed away last month. “He was larger than life. It is still hard to fathom that he is not with us anymore. If it (the heart attack) can happen to Shane, it can happen to any one of us. [After his death], the first thing my wife did was book me in for [an] angiogram test. So many guys in Australia have done the same thing. We have got to look after ourselves,” he said.
Former Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath – currently in India in his capacity as director of the MRF Pace Foundation – felt that the selectors will be tracking the youngster closely. Umran had trained at the pace foundation during the 2018-19 season. “I am sure the selectors will be very interested in him. They would love to have someone bowling at that pace for your country. Bowling a yorker is a lot tougher and the fact that he is able to bowl one at that pace makes him very dangerous,” McGrath said.
However, McGrath has a word of caution. “Pace is important but it’s not everything. You don’t want someone bowling 150 kmph and spraying it down the leg side or bowling wide. So, you have got to have that control. Mitchell Johnson was an example of someone who had sheer pace with control and he became such a dangerous bowler,” McGrath said.
While Umran has been hogging the limelight, India’s premier pacer — Jasprit Bumrah — hasn’t had the best of times with Mumbai Indians. Bumrah has managed just 4 wickets from 7 games. McGrath doesn’t want to read too much into it. “I think, batsmen are a lot more watchful against him these days and not letting him take wickets. But as a bowler, you want to take wickets, so it’s more of a mental game now. He is a quality bowler and very intelligent. I expect him to bounce back strongly,” he said.
McGrath, who has been with the pace foundation for the last 10 years, is pleased with the progress India has made with its fast bowling resources. “It’s always been good batting conditions and bowling conditions for spinners here. But what I have heard is that the pitches (in India) are little different now and there is more in it for the pacers which is great. It’s a combination of different attitudes and different conditions which have helped fast bowlers. When you have a strong bowling line-up in your national team, it filters down with more people wanting to become fast bowlers as well,” the 52-year-old said.
McGrath paid rich tributes to his former teammate Shane Warne who passed away last month. “He was larger than life. It is still hard to fathom that he is not with us anymore. If it (the heart attack) can happen to Shane, it can happen to any one of us. [After his death], the first thing my wife did was book me in for [an] angiogram test. So many guys in Australia have done the same thing. We have got to look after ourselves,” he said.
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