Cricket News

‘Not competing with Umran Malik’- Anrich Nortje ahead of the 4th T20I

There’s something about the sheer pace that excites the audience and the players alike. The sight of the bowler bowling a bouncer to a batter and the latter managing to get out of the way of the delivery is a sight to behold in cricket. Over the years, Indian fans were deprived of such scenes as the country couldn’t produce real-fast bowlers clocking in at speeds of over 145 kmph. But gone are those days now as the new generation of the Indian fast bowlers have that sheer pace to intimidate the opposition batters.

The 15th season of the Indian T20 league saw one Indian fast bowler who impress the whole cricketing fraternity with his sheer pace. The name ‘Umran Malik’ was on everyone’s lips as the 22-year-old Indian pacer took the tournament by storm. He bowled at speeds that were untouched by any Indian fast bowler in the history of the game.

South African pacer Anrich Nortje had a lot to say when asked about Umran Malik and his rivalry with the Indian speedster in the pre-match conference ahead of the 4^th T20I. Malik made headlines as he bowled at speeds in excess of 150kmph consistently throughout the 2022 season of the tournament. He even bowled the second fastest-delivery of the tournament when he clocked 157 kmph on the speed gun.

“Yeah, at this stage, I am not bothered about who is the fastest (bowler). Not really bothered about it who is the fastest and what the speed gun is, it is about contributing to the team. When I do train, when I am not playing, you obviously think about how can you get fast with the way you train, whatever you are doing. In the back of my mind, it would be something I will keep on striving towards but it is not something I think about when I go to the field,” said Nortje.

“Umran Malik is a very good bowler, a very fast bowler. He has shown what he can do. If he gets faster, great for him. If I get faster, great for me. I do not think we are at the stage where we are competing to bowl the fastest ball, it is about winning games and trying to contribute,” he added.

Malik is yet to play his first international game for India. There’s a high possibility of him making his debut in the 4^th or the 5^th T20 international. The fourth T20 of the ongoing series is scheduled to be played on Friday at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot.