Former England captain backs Indian pacer Umran Malik for the T20 World Cup

While Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna are the preferred choices, according to former England captain and pacer Darren Gough, he thinks that flamboyant fast bowler Umran Malik would be a great addition to the Indian side for the T20 World Cup later this year.

Umran Malik's pace in the 2022 IPL attracted attention, but his developing international career has often exposed him to be an uneconomical bowler.

In all formats, India now possesses a large variety of bowling options, according to Darren Gough. Mohammed Shami recently served a reminder of his potency as a limited overs bowler in India's ODI series victory (2-1) over England away from home.

Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, among others, also had an impact on the tour. Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked like he is back in shape, while Jasprit Bumrah was lethal as ever.

Talking about Indian bowling options for the T20 World Cup, Gough believes that fiery fast bowler Umran Malik would become an excellent signing for him in the T20 World Cup later this year.

He said in a YouTube interview that, "Bumrah, in my opinion, is the best fast bowler in the world across all formats. He is your top choice, the perfect choice. Due to his proficiency with the new ball, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is brought in.

“He plays a crucial role in slowing the momentum by getting early wickets. Throughout the England vs. India series, we have observed it. So, in my opinion, he must be included there," he further added.

“Mohammed Siraj moves quickly. He impressed me both when I saw him bowl in Australia and India. And then there is Umran Malik. Anyone who bowls that quickly gets my team. You might only need a little additional speed on Australian fields to surprise the opposition,” Darren Gough further added.

Umran's extraordinary pace, which regularly exceeded 150 kph, caught people's attention during the 2022 IPL. Several seasoned players claim that the 22-year-old needs to add more variety to his bowling to become a prolific wicket-taker. That said, many believe that Malik has gone for 112 runs in the three T20 Internationals he has played so far, and should not be part of the World Cup T20 squad.

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