Former India batter Wasim Jaffer questioned Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) use of fast bowler Umran Malik in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). SRH lost against Delhi Capitals (DC) by seven runs on Monday, April 24 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, marking their fifth defeat in the IPL 2023. With four points, the 2016 IPL champions are currently ranked ninth in the IPL 2023 points table.
“SRH are playing Umran Malik, but he bowled only two overs in the match against Delhi. Instead of him, they could have played a batter. If you don’t trust him as a bowler, it’s better to bring in a batsman to the team,” Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo.
“Delhi were 62/5 at one point, but Hyderabad allowed them to reach 144. If they had bowled better, things could have been easier for them. Letting Delhi make 144 was a mistake by SRH,” he added.
“Looking at their batting order, I feel Abhishek Sharma is a better option as an opener. Most of his runs for SRH have come as an opener. He is batting out of position [in the middle-order]. Harry Brook could bat at four or five. That will strengthen their lower-order batting. With the likes of Aiden Markram, Brook and Heinrich Klaasen, their batting in the middle and death overs will become strong. They will need to improve their batting combination and their batting order,” the former cricketer added.
