• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Suddenly Missing Commentator Bemused With Umran Maliks Exclusion From Sa Series

'Suddenly Missing,' Commentator Bemused With Umran Malik's Exclusion From SA Series

image-lptfm5chUmran Malik (X.com)

The Indian cricket team is set for their next big challenge after the ODI World Cup heartbreak. Moving on from the brutal past, the Men in Blue will tour South Africa for a full-fledged series comprising two Tests, three ODIs, and as many T20s. 

The squads for the same were picked last week, thus causing a massive uproar amongst the Indian cricket fraternity. While the addition of a few names served as a delight, the exclusion of promising youngsters shocked many. 

One such snub that caught fans' attention was of speedster Umran Malik. Owing to IPL success, the pacer was picked for the West Indies and Ireland series held earlier this year. 

However, Umran unexpectedly failed to make it to the T20 squad as well as the India A squad for the SA tour, which left former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra confused.


Aakash Chopra Backs Umran Malik For National Selection!

He feels Malik should be considered for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for 2024. The speedster had been on the team a while ago. And now, in a matter of mere a few months, he disappeared from the scheme of things.

"I feel he should be considered. You had kept him in the team until some time back. You had played him, it was either against the West Indies or Ireland. After that, he has been missing. You keep someone with so much love at one point and then suddenly missing, that's not good," Aakash Chopra via YouTube channel.

That is nothing but baffling for Aakash Chopra, who still thinks the pacer deserves a spot in the T20 squad, to say the least.

"Keep him in the scheme of things at least. In fact, he is not even being picked in the India A team. How can it happen that he was in the Indian team three months ago and now he is not even part of the India A team?" he added.

Earlier, Malik's mentor and former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan also voiced his concern over the pacer being actively sidelined from national selection.

Umran Malik played 10 ODIs and 8 T20s for the Indian side and clubbed 24 wickets combined. While he did leak runs in the shorter format, his ODI economy stands at 6.54.

These numbers are worth a chance, and perhaps the speedster should have been in the India A squad. 

Having said that, the competition is too steep in the Indian contingent right now, especially after IPL performances became the base for national selection.