Former Pakistan cricketer Aaqib Javed said that Umran Malik is not as trained and fit as Haris Rauf, drawing comparisons between the two fast bowlers. Umran Malik has been one of the most exciting prospects for fast bowling. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer has bowled at express pace and his raw speed has turned out to cause problems for most batters on several occasions. Stating that Rauf is the fitter of the two, Javed, as quoted by Events and Happenings Sports, said, "Umran Malik is not as trained and fit as Haris Rauf. If you look at him in ODIs, in his first spell, he bowls around 150 kmph but by the 7th or 8th over the speed drops to 138 kmph.” Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya Among Indians Included in ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2022.

Further adding that consistency is more important than speed, he stated, “Bowling 160 kmph is not a big deal for me, but bowling at the same speed throughout the match is very crucial. The difference is the same as it is between Kohli and the rest of the batters.” Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar Pray for Rishabh Pant's Speedy Recovery at Mahakaleshwar Temple Ahead of IND vs NZ 3rd ODI 2023 (See Pics).

He also explained why Rauf was separate from the rest, crediting him for his discipline and lifestyle. “He (Haris) is very disciplined with his diet, training and his lifestyle. I have not seen a single Pakistan bowler who has a diet like Haris. No one has a clear lifestyle like him,” he said.

Malik recently became the fastest Indian bowler when he clocked 156kmph during an ODI against Sri Lanka. He broke premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s record in doing so.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 23, 2023 04:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).