'He has a long way to go'- Danish Kaneria on 'wayward' Umran Malik

As India completed a clean sweep in the T20I series against Ireland, Umran Malik made a less-than-ideal start to his international career for the team as he managed to grab just a solitary wicket in his two appearances in the T20I series against Ireland. Former Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria has now weighed in on the young fast bowling sensation from Jammu.

Malik had a stellar IPL 2022 as he rattled numerous batters with his explosive pace and grabbed 22 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad in a disappointing season for the franchise. The tearaway pacer was rewarded with a call-up to the national squad but didn’t make an appearance in the T20I series against South Africa. He got his chance in the recently concluded limited-overs series against Ireland but failed to replicate his IPL form.

The 22-year-old pacer struggled for consistency and was off the radar on quite a few occasions. Although he did display nerves of steel in the final over against Ireland in the second T20I, there is still a long way to go for him. Former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria stated that the jump from IPL to international cricket is not easy as there is a considerable amount of pressure when you play for the national side.

“Umran Malik bowls very fast, but he has a long way to go as he is quite wayward. He will improve as he plays more matches. It is not easy to handle the pressure of playing international cricket. Playing for an IPL franchise is different, but things are completely different in international cricket as there are a lot of eyeballs on you,” Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.

Ireland played with a lot of confidence: Danish Kaneria

The former leggie also showered praises on the Ireland team, who gave a great account of themselves by playing a fearless brand of cricket, especially in the run chase in the second T20I. They were on the brink of causing a huge upset as they almost got over the line chasing India’s mammoth score of 225. Kaneria said that it’s not easy to hit quality bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and co, who have proven their skills in the IPL.

“It takes courage to chase a target like 225 in T20 cricket. Ireland played with a lot of confidence and entertained us with their batting. They were up against some quality Indian bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Axar Patel, and Harshal Patel. These are the bowlers who have proved their mettle in the IPL,” Kaneria added.