My focus is not on fastest ball, want to bowl well in right areas: Umran Malik

Indian fast bowling sensation Umran Malik said he is not worried about breaking the record for the fastest delivery, but about bowling in the right areas. Former Pakistan international, Shoaib Akthar first broke the 100 miles per hour barrier in the 2003 World Cup, which to this day, is the fastest delivery in international cricket. And Malik, in this Indian Premier League 2022, came close to the record with a delivery of 157 kilometers per hour.

Malik caught the attention of the fans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 for his tearaway speed with the ball. He was a regular starter for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the tournament, picking up 22 wickets in 14 games. Following a successful outing in the IPL, he earned a call-up for India ahead of the bilateral series against South Africa. 

I want to keep it 150 or above to maintain my body and strength: Umran Malik.

Malik was known for clocking around the 150 km/h mark consistently for SRH. His 157 km/h delivery in IPL 2022 is the third-fastest delivery in the history of the tournament. However, the 22-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir said that he was not focussed on that record. He also said that he wishes to keep his bowling speed to 150 km/h or above to maintain his body strength.

Malik played his first IPL in 2021 after he was signed by SRH. He has also represented Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the Indian domestic circuit and has played one List-A match. Ahead of the series against South Africa, he expressed his desire to guide India to a 5-0 whitewash. The right-arm quick also lauded his J&K and SRH teammate, Abdul Samad for motivating him.

“My focus is not on that record right now. I want to bowl well, bowl in the right areas, and help my country win all five matches against South Africa. I want to keep it 150 or above to maintain my body and strength,” said Malik as quoted by India Today.

“Abdul (Samad) motivated me a lot. Whenever I used to bowl to him, he would say I am bowling slow. So, then I would deliver with more pace. And then the gym and proper exercise helped me with this,” he added.