Ex-Pak skipper's blunt verdict on whether Umran Malik can break Shoaib Akhtar's record
Ex-Pak skipper's blunt verdict on whether Umran Malik can break Shoaib Akhtar's record
At the time Umran Malik burst into the scene in IPL 2021, the entire cricketing world could talk about was his pace. A season later, when he recorded 157 kmph, during a match against Delhi Capitals, there weren't just requests from veterans to include the youngster into the Indian team, comparison with Shoaib Akhtar had become the talk of the town. And with each of his significant performances, now with the Indian team, grows the discussion. But former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has given a rather blunt statement in comparing Umran with Akhtar while using a Sachin Tendulkar analogy.
The youngster has consistently been logging well over 150 kmph. The most recent of those being in the T20I series against Sri Lanka where he dismissed Dasun Shanaka with a 155 kmph delivery that sent the stumps flying.
Talking on his YouTube channel, the former Pakistan skipper, who was asked if Umran Malik and Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf can shatter Shoaib Akhtar's record, said that the two stand nowhere close to the legendary pacer's skill. Salman Butt explained that with Akhtar having played all three formats and having consistently logged well over 155 kmph, the two youngsters have not shown that “uniqueness” thus far.
“As of now, they both are far from Shoaib's record. But again, records are meant to be broken. So who knows. But Shoaib used to play all the three formats and used to bowl long spells. He was just not fast, he was a clever bowler. He know how to dismiss batters, even in Test cricket. Even when he was 39 years of age, when he played his last game in India. he clocked 159. He could bowl that fast even with a six-step run up. The uniqueness that he carried, I don't see that in Umran or Haris. But they are both young so anything can happen. But I just want to remind that whom we are comparing with. It's like saying that if a batter scores hattrick of tons, then we say he might break Sachin's record. That's 100 centuries. People don't even play that many matches in their career. May be they can bowl one-two deliveries of that speed, but will they become that big a bowler only time will tell,” he explained.