Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram felt that India had missed a trick by not selecting tearaway fast bowler Umran Malik on the bouncier Australian pitches for the Twenty20 World Cup, beginning on October 16. The 22-year-year old fast bowling sensation, who caught the eye with searing pace in the Indian Premier League 2022. Played in three Twenty20 internationals against Ireland and was a touch expensive, conceding 112 runs in 54 balls. The pacer, to his credit, defended 17 runs in the final over to give India a four-run win in the second Twenty20 against Ireland in Malahide.

Skipper Hardik Pandya had said the Kashmiri’s pace was the reason for him to give the final over to Malik. But subsequently, Malik has not been part of the Indian set-up. Akram feels that he could have been India’s X-factor. “Umran Malik is quick and India took him to Ireland and he got hammered. It happens in T20, but you got to stick with him. If I were in think tank, then I will have him in the squad all the time. The more he plays, the better he will become.

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Experience in Twenty20 matters a lot,” the former Pakistan left-arm pacer said at an event where he was unveiled as the brand ambassador for Innovation Factory. An IT firm that focuses on blockchain-based solutions, in Dubai on Tuesday. Umran Malik is waiting for his visa to join the Indian team in Australia, along with Kuldeep Sen. Still, India have to name a replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah and veteran pacer Mohammed Shami is touted as the leading contender as the replacement, but Malik could well be drafted in before the October 15 deadline.

Akram, who had special praise for another young Indian left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, felt that pace, not swing and seam movement, will be very effective on Australian wickets. “Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar] is a very good bowler. He can swing the ball both ways and bowls a good yorker with the new ball, but once the ball is not swinging then he might struggle. You need pace there. Pakistan has got Shaheen Afridi, who is very fast, but has been out of action for over three months. So he has to play some practice games before the big game against India,” felt Akram, who has been a coach for the franchise-based Twenty20 leagues apart from being a commentator for over a decade.