There are 150 reasons to give speedster Umran Malik an early break

Sheer pace is one of cricket’s most potent weapons, and keeping him waiting might be counterproductive

So, what do we do about Umran Malik?

The answer to that will be the difference between having a top-class bowler for India and a premature fading away. Umran is a rare talent. He is 22, has a smooth action and is capable of bowling regularly at 150 kmph. He is, as Kane Williamson, his captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad has said, “special”.

The manner in which he has been shattering wickets — his dismissal of Shreyas Iyer has been one of the highlights of the IPL — has placed Umran at the forefront of fresh choices for the national team.

Shreyas first moved towards the line of the ball, then quickly in the opposite direction while the yorker kept its course and smashed into the stumps. Indian fast bowlers hitting the 140-mark is not unusual, but 150 is something else, with batsmen in danger of treading on the square leg umpire’s toes.

Now comes the tricky part for Umran and for India. How do we nurture this talent and ensure he has a long and productive career? Who will keep whispering in his ear, “You are a fast bowler, keep bowling fast,” especially on days when mishits go for six and edges are dropped in the slips?

Fast bowling is long and lonely work, calling for a mind as strong as the body and a self-belief capable of going past bad days convinced good ones are round the corner. Fast bowlers need to be blooded quickly, even if they are not the finished product yet. Sheer pace is one of cricket’s most potent weapons, and keeping Umran waiting might be counterproductive.

Umran has been devastating, but also at times expensive. Wicket-to-wicket he can be lethal, but he has sprayed the ball in the IPL. At this stage accuracy need not come at the cost of pace. His bowling coach at Sunrisers, the great Dale Steyn has put his finger on the reason: anyone can bowl 135kmph. The 150kmph men are among the elite. Umran needs an understanding coach and captain to get the best out of him.