Exclusive | Umran Malik can be a superstar in all formats of the game: Brett Lee

Australian bowling great Brett Lee is of the opinion that tearaway pacer Umran Malik should be picked in India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup if the selection was to be done right now. The 22-year-old Jammu & Kashmir fast bowler was the find of the recently-concluded IPL 2022 where he picked 22 wickets in 14 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The best part about his bowling was his ability to consistently bowl at 150kph. He also bowled the second fastest ball of IPL 2022 at 157kph. Malik is likely to make his debut in the home series against South Africa which begins on 9 June as Team India relaunch their Mission T20 World Cup. The 2022 edition of the mega event will be hosted by defending champions Australia from 16 October to 13 November. [caption id=“attachment_10567401” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Brett Lee wants Indian team management to allow Umran Malik bowl freely. Image: Sportzpics[/caption] We caught up with one of the quickest bowlers of all time Brett Lee, brand ambassador of sportsbet.io, to talk about India’s fast bowling options for the upcoming world event, Australia’s chances and ways to restrict an on-song Jos Buttler. Excerpts: Q: India picked three genuine pacers for the 2021 T20 World Cup. Given that Jasprit Bumrah is a certainty who will be your other two picks? Lee: It’s hard to say. You have five or six different options. I will give you one option and that is Umran Malik. I think it will be great to see the youngster getting the opportunity to run in and bowl fast on what might be a better wicket that will suit his bowling style, you know bouncy wicket. To bowl over 150kph is hard work, let’s not dodge around that fact. The reason a lot of bowlers bowl at 130kph or 140kph is because it’s hard work to bowl fast consistently. I like what I see in the kid. I like what he brings to the table. And I think he can get quicker. Q: A lot of experts have shared their suggestions on how India should go about handling Umran Malik. India have had genuine pacers in the past who lost a lot of speed over a period of time. How will you handle Umran Malik? Lee: I think they will have to manage him correctly. They will have to allow him also to bowl freely. Sometimes what a lot of coaching staff do is when they see a guy bowling 150kph they go ‘he might be too expensive, let’s try to bring his pace back and try to bowl outswingers.’ He can bowl at 150kph and swing the ball away. So, why not do that. I actually did a special piece on my YouTube channel on what he can do and the reasons why I believe he can be a superstar, in all formats of the game. We have seen in the IPL. He has burst onto the scene and everyone now knows his name. He looks like a little Waqar Younis running into to bowl. It’s exciting…I think he can play Test cricket. I think he’s going to be good. Q: What will be your bowling combination for India? Lee: You got to pick bowlers according to specific roles. What happens normally is that when a team is picked, not just in India but around the world. You pick a bowler who can bowl a bit in the middle and some in the death. I like to have specific bowlers doing the specific roles. Someone like Umran Malik, we know what we are going to get. Someone like Jasprit Bumrah, we know he can bowl fast. A good spin option…For me personally, I would like to pick an experienced bowler like Bumrah. Get the youth in with someone like Umran Malik and balance your side around those two style of bowlers. Whether or not Umran Malik plays in Australia, he should definitely be in the squad. Q: Mohammed Siraj has slipped down the pecking order. He also had an ordinary IPL. What is wrong with him? Lee: He had a great series in Australia. He looked like the most threatening bowler on Aussie turf. It is a funny game. You can’t expect them to do well in every game. It doesn’t happen every time. The wickets here have been batting friendly. In Australia, there will be a different style of wickets. Whichever bowler they pick, Siraj, Bumrah or a youngster, pick bowlers that will suit the conditions they are going to get. So Siraj didn’t have the best season, but I believe that with some confidence behind him (he can do well), and the confidence will come if his name is read out, and he knows that he is in the team. Q: Jos Buttler had a brilliant IPL 2022 and is being hailed as the best T20 batsman in the world. What will be your bowling plans against him? Lee: I am up in the commentary box, so I would like to stick to that. Against someone like Jos Buttler, you got to keep things very simple. He moves around the crease and puts bowlers off their own natural game. As a bowler have three key plans. Nail that yorker, nail that bouncer, nail that wide line yorker. And stick to what you know. Sometimes, batsmen like that put pressure on the bowler and the bowler misses his spot, he tries to be different and that is where batsmen like Jos Buttler flourish. Q: It’s been a tough year for Australian cricket with legends like Rod Marsh, Shane Warne and Andrew Symons departing. You reckon it will make them a tougher team to beat, and that they are favourites for T20 World Cup? Lee: Of course, I am going to say they are the favourites. But there are other teams that can threaten of course. It has been a tough year for Australia and I believe that is going to make the team even more hungry to go out there and show why we are such a close-knit unit, the Baggy Greens. Read all the  Latest News ****,  Trending News ****,  Cricket News ****,  Bollywood News ****,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook****,  Twitter and  Instagram****.