India's emerging fast bowling talent, Umran Malik has denied his comparison with former Pakistani quick bowling great Waqar Younis saying he has his own natural style. On one occasion, the former Australian cricketer Brett Lee compared him to Waqar saying the youngster's bowling reminds him of the Pakistani bowling great.
Brett had said,
"I am a big fan. I think Umran Malik has got a lot of pace to burn. He is a competitor, a top guy, who runs in like a lot of fast bowlers in the past. Waqar Younis is the person who comes to mind,"
However, Umran has recently stated that he never idolized Waqar but has grown seeing the bowling of his countrymates Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammad Shami. While talking to media, he commented,
“I have not followed Waqar Younis. I have a natural action. My idols include (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Shami and Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) bhai. I used to follow them when I was playing while coming through the ranks,”
Umran's pace bowling made headlines during the IPL 2022. He constantly delivered the bowls over 150 kph. Recently, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 18-player squad for the five-match T20I series against South Africa and the pace sensation Umran has made into it.
