'Upto The Selectors': Umran Malik Breaks Silence On 2-Year-Long Absence

Star India pacer Umran Malik has said that he has confidence in himself because he is the only one who bowls over 150kmph and is working on slower balls as well as the yorker, adding that it is upto the selectors as to when they let him play.

Umran made his India debut in June 2022 in a T20I against Ireland and went for 14 runs in the only over he bowled. He made his ODI debut against New Zealand in November that year, giving away 66 runs in his 10 overs while dismissing Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell.

Umran played 10 ODIs and eight T20Is before he fell out of favour with the selectors, with injuries also proving to be roadblocks in his career.

“It isn’t that I will feel bad mentally. I know that I will do well now. I will come back to the India

team. I have confidence in myself because I am the only one who bowls at 150,” Umran said while speaking to the media in Kolkata.

“But now I am bowling slower (balls) as well, which I am working on and also the yorker. I am doing that in red-ball formats too; I am working hard there. The rest is up to the selectors when they let me play,” Umran added.

Breaking into India’s star-studded white-ball bowling lineup was not easy, but Umran stayed undeterred.

“When I was playing earlier, there was this much competition. Now also the competition is the same. I don’t think there is any competition,” Umran said.

“When I am fully fit and take wickets like this, why would not they let me play? They will let me play if I take wickets. That is it,” Umran added.

The star Indian pacer was in action against Uttar Pradesh at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Friday, dismissing a set Aryan Juyal, skipper Karan Sharma and Rinku Singh. But Prashant Veer and Vipraj Nigam picked three wickets apiece to dismiss Jammu and Kashmir for just 84 runs.