Umran Malik is nowhere near the finished article: Ian Bishop – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Umran Malik has kept the speed gun and critics busy this season of the Indian Premier League with his outings in the middle. The 22-year-old has already scalped 21 wickets from the 13 matches he has played for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season. He currently sits at No.4 in the purple cap table.

Umran Malik returned with figures of 3/23 vs Mumbai Indians. Photo Sportzpics for IPL

Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, like most, has been impressed with what Umran has offered in this edition of the IPL. After a promising start, the young seamer lost his way a bit in the middle phase of the tournament where he leaked runs and the wicket column went dry. Even on tough days, the seamer kept working serious pace and former West Indies great Bishop feels it’s something which makes him stand out.

“Malik’s pace distinguishes him from every other bowler around the country and beyond now. It has been heartening watching his control improve as the IPL has gone along. He is adding control and know-how to his skill set without losing velocity,” Bishop told Sportstar in an interview.

“He seems to be a quick learner and a very hard worker who is not overawed by the boundary hitting power of the modern batsman. He gets hit for boundaries and keeps running in harder. That is a great attitude to have,” added the legendary bowler.

Bishop however feels that a lot of work still needs to be done and Umran is still “a work in progress”.

“It helps to have a short memory in the T20 format as a fast bowler. Forget the inevitable bad over or bad games as quickly as possible and keep striving for a good performance with a smile and joy. It is important though to acknowledge that Malik is still a work in progress. He is nowhere near the finished article,” said Bishop.