Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has spoken about the downfall of young Indian spinner Umran Malik. He said that he had no control over his bowling and ended up losing the captain’s confidence.

Umran Malik’s downfall is one of the most disappointing stories in Indian cricket. The fast bowler grabbed headlines with his lightning pace when he burst onto the scene, troubling the big names with his pace in the Indian Premier League.

Umran Malik was considered one of the most exciting players in Indian cricket. His ability to consistently touch 150 km/h caught the attention of many and his performance in the two IPL seasons even earned him a place in the Indian squad for T20Is and ODIs.

Umran Malik started off quite well for India but after that, he couldn’t sustain his good performances. He struggled with his line and length both in Team India and in the IPL. He was bowled out for many runs and then he was left out of both Team India and his IPL squad.

Speaking about Umran Malik’s career, Paras Mhambrey asserted that players like him had to develop. He stressed that pace is not everything as one needs to have control over his delivery. Speaking to Indian Express, he explained:

“I think you have to develop talent. Someone with fast pace is a rare commodity and you see potential in him. When he burst onto the scene throwing 145-148 (kph) — I’m not one to go by the 160-kph speed gun because I don’t think it’s real — you realise that pace was his strong point.

“He was definitely fast and he was hitting 140kph regularly. Bowling consistently at that pace is good and he has done that. But how does he do it? In T20s, if you are not in control, you will struggle. Once you are in control, you will lose the captain’s trust.”

So, one has to gain control and that will happen only if he plays Ranji Trophy – Paras Mhambrey on Umran Malik

Paras Mhambrey said that Umran Malik needs to make a comeback in the Ranji Trophy which will help him regain control. He said that playing in the tournament will help him execute his skills even in pressure situations. He said:

“You have to gain control and that will only happen if you play Ranji Trophy. That is why we are pushing him to play Ranji Trophy because when he gets through a season, even under pressure, he will be able to execute his skills.”

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Umran Malik in international cricket. With the current number of fast bowlers out there, it is unlikely that he will ever make it back into the Indian team. The fast bowler is also not getting any opportunities in the Indian Premier League and would now be keen to make an impact in the domestic circuit.