'Central contract straightaway' - Ravi Shastri's advice to BCCI on Umran Malik

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) speedster Umran Malik has been in emphatic form in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The right-arm pacer gave a match-winning performance with the ball in his team’s previous group encounter against the Mumbai Indians on May 17 (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, the former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to “straightaway” hand the express pacer his national cap. Shastri has also opined that Malik should be kept in the mix with the main players including Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah so the pacer can learn important things from them.

‘He can rattle anyone with his pace’ – Ravi Shastri on Umran Malik 

To note, the speedster has been regularly breaching the 150 kmph mark this season and is also the fourth-highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets to his name in 13 encounters.

“Central contract straightaway. Keep him in the mix with the main players and then he learns seeing (and) being around with the [Mohammed] Shamis and the [Jasprit] Bumrahs, and see the way they train, see the way they manage their workload,” Shastri told ESPNcricinfo.

“If he gets a wicket and a new guy comes in, he can really rattle him because he has got the pace, he can keep the bloke on his toes, but it’s that line – if he gets into that channel without cutting his pace it will make a huge difference.

“Of course, there’ll be the team management there, support staff, that’ll help him do that, but don’t let him stray at the moment. Get him into the mix, and keep him there and groom him,” the former Indian coach added.

Talking about Malik’s overall numbers in the IPL, the right-arm pacer has played a total of 16 matches and has scalped 23 wickets at an average of 22.43. The 22-year-old has already grabbed a four-wicket and a five-wicket haul in the toughest league.

Meanwhile, his team SRH will take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their final group stage match of IPL 2022 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 22 (Sunday) and Umran would want to continue his good form.