West Indies legend Brian Lara has offered an important advice to India fast bowler Umran Malik, saying that pace should not be the only weapon in his armoury.
Lara cited the examples of greats like Wasim Akram and Malcolm Marshall to tell Umran that it is essential to evolve over time to make a mark at the highest level.
Lara observed Umran Malik from close quarters during his coaching stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League over the last two years.
After making his IPL debut in 2021, Umran caught the imagination of the cricketing world with his raw pace. He produced stunning performances in the 2022 season, picking up 22 wickets in 14 matches to earn himself a maiden India call-up.
Playing for the country, Umran Malik consistently bowled at the speed of 150 kmph or more. However, he often struggled with line and length and his economy rate of 10.49 from 8 T20Is is a testimony of that.
"He will be a sensation, but very quickly he will have to learn that fast bowling really does not trouble the best players in the world. You have to have the ability to do something with the ball, be sensible, and maybe understand times when you have to trickle back or understand the times when you have to up the tempo. He is very young and has got a lot of years ahead of him," Brian Lara said on a YouTube show 'Wake Up With Sorabh'.
Umran Malik also endured a dismal IPL 2023 campaign for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The right-arm quick featured in eight games this season, claiming only five wickets at an economy rate of 10.85.
In the ongoing tour of West Indies, Umran has appeared in two ODIs so far. He failed to take a wicket in both games and also proved to be expensive.
Lara feels working with a legend like Dale Steyn, who is the bowling coach of SRH, will only help Umran get better.
"We have had so many different examples. Wasim Akram was raw pace, Malcolm Marshall had destructive pace, and Michael Holding. But they all know that at some point in time, they have had to come up with a lot more tricks than just being able to bowl fast. If he (Umran Malik) works with Dale Steyn, he could definitely be one of the best India could produce," he added.
