'He is a superstar in the making': Brett Lee backs Umran Malik for India Test debut; shares special advice for Bumrah

Umran Malik left fans on the edge of the seat with his raw pace that left batters anxious and experts of the game excited during the last IPL season. The young sensation from Jammu and Kashmir had picked 22 wickets in 14 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad with a five-wicket haul while also recording the fastest ever ball in IPL history. Umran was soon roped into the Indian T20I side and later made his debut in the ODIs as well. And although he failed to crack into the T20 World Cup side, Australia pace legend Brett Lee feels Umran should be fast-tracked into the Jasprit Bumrah-less Test attack in the next World Test Championship cycle for India.

Umran has only shown glimpses of his true talent in international cricket, having made his debut in June. He has so far picked 13 and 11 wickets respectively in the two white-ball formats where he played eight matches apiece. The 23-year-old is yet to be in the reckoning for Test debut. He had made his debut in red-ball cricket for India A in the 2021 South Africa tour.

Lee, in reply to a query made by Hindustan Times on whether India should look to fast-track Umran into the Test set-up, agreed completely while being in full of praise for the youngster.

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"Why not? He is good enough in my opinion. He has got good pace, got nice action and runs in well with a beautiful approach. So yes he can be injected," he said on the sidelines of Legends League Cricket in Doha.

Lee later added saying, “He is a superstar in the making”.

The former Aussie cricketer also had a special advice for Jasprit Bumrah, who is likely to remain out of action till the end of WTC final in June owing to his struggle with back injury. Admitting that Bumrah's absence does leave a big gap in the Indian attack, which he clarified it being a "compliment" for the India star, Lee feels that the 29-year-old has to make some technical changes in his bowling routine upon returning to the sport.

"I wouldn't say it makes it weak. I would definitely say that it leaves a whole in there. And I mean this as a compliment because he is that good. Bumrah has got a wonderful record. Unfortunately for him, he has had that worrying back issue for quite sometime now. The only advice I would say is that with his run up being so short, he has to find that pace and power out of his action where I think, maybe now in due course he might extend his run up to allow that pressure to be taken of his back," he said.

Bumrah has been out of action since September last year, following which he had missed the T20 World Cup, and it was recently reported that he underwent a surgery in New Zealand.