The one player who was widely tipped to make his debut for India in the just concluded T20I series against South Africa was Umran Malik. However, head coach Rahul Dravid didn't give him an opportunity in the five games against the Proteas despite earning rave reviews from former cricketers during the Indian Premier League (IPL), consistently clocking speeds of 150-plus throughout the tournament. Even ahead of the first match in Delhi, there was a lot of buzz around Umran Malik's inclusion in the Indian playing XI. But the Srinagar-born fast bowler couldn't make the cut as India fielded an unchanged team in all the five games. While Umran Malik wasn't successful in donning the national cap in an international contest, former India pacer Irfan Pathan has now raised his voice in support of his inclusion in the country's squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

Umran Malik, meanwhile, will get another shot at making his debut for India later this month. The Indian selectors announced his name in the national squad that will be travelling to Ireland for two T20Is.

Irfan Pathan, who has seen Umran Malik from close quarters, having captained him in the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team, urged the Indian team management to give the tearaway pacer a few match-playing opportunities so that he could prove his worth on the international stage.

“He has not yet played; he has still not made his debut. First make him debut, see how he goes when he makes his debut. But if he makes his debut and god forbid if it does not go well, don't leave him aside,” Irfan Pathan told Star Sports.

“We have never had a bowler who bowls at 150 kph; now we have got that, so take him for the long haul carefully. You have to see what is his longevity, how long his fitness is going to take him,” the ex-India all-rounder added.

“One thing he has got is raw pace, which you either have, or you don't. You cannot teach anyone to bowl fast, whether it is Irfan Pathan or the world's best mentor or coach, you can only make him better,” he said.

“You can do the fine-tuning; we have done that; the Indian team will make it even better. But if it is the question of the squad, get him to make his debut; if he does well, take him forward, and if he doesn't do well, persist with him because you don't get such a bowler every time,” Irfan Pathan opined.

Meanwhile, Australia legend Glenn McGrath claimed that Umran Malik was a “unique” bowler who could become very “dangerous” if he has good control and consistency in his bowling.

“Yeah, bowling express pace is something which is quite unique. And it is very special. If you can combine that extreme pace with control and consistency, then you become a very dangerous bowler. It is just about getting that experience, once you get to the top, you have to work even harder. As long as his work ethic is good and he looks to improve, who knows where he can go,” Glenn McGrath told NDTV.

“There is still time for him (Umran playing Tests). You have to get out there and do the business in first-class cricket as well. When you are bowling express pace, everyone gets excited and fair enough, but yeah, to be around the team, is pretty special. I have not spent any time with him, so I do not know what he is like as a character and how he goes about things.”

“I was lucky enough as I played just 6 games for New South Wales before getting a chance in a Test match. It comes down to attitude, if you are bowling at that pace, you need to look after yourself and you need to be fit. You need to be strong so that you can bowl day in and day out, yeah a lot of it is going to depend on him, his work ethic, and how he goes about things. If he can adapt to playing at the higher level and enjoy it, then yeah, looks like he can have a big career. But as long as they are managed properly and not raised to the top, I am sure he will do fine,” he added.

Earlier former India captain Sunil Gavaskar had compared Umran Malik's talent with the God of cricket Sachin Tendulkar.

“The last time I got really excited at seeing an Indian player was Sachin Tendulkar. And after that I am excited to see Umran Malik. I do believe he should play, but again they might say that let us win the third one and get ourselves in a situation and then may be they can think about experimenting,” he said on Star Sports.