Twenty three year old lanky Umar Nazir Mir can bolster country's fast bowling department - that often is found wanting in fitness and ability to bounce out opposition and clock 90 mph consistently.

Team India's search to find a feisty express bowler may end soon with Kashmir providing the answers.

Twenty three year old lanky Umar Nazir Mir can bolster country's fast bowling department - that often is found wanting in fitness and ability to bounce out opposition and clock 90 mph consistently.

At 6.4 feet, Nazir is two inches shorter than India's bowling mainstay Ishant Sharma but a yard or two quicker.

Abdul Qayoom Bagav, Jammu and Kashmir Ranji team coach says Umar's classical side arm action helps him to generate 140 km per hour for long spells and his pace does not fall much even when the ball is old.

Age on his side, he is expected to serve India for long along with the growing stable of medium fast and fast medium pacers like Jaspreet Bhumrah, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneswar Kumar and Umesh Yadav.

But first things first, he needs to get a break, get lucky and perform when it matters, and then break into the team.

"He swings it both ways when the ball has shine and reverses the old one. Moreover, because he drops the ball from a good height, he extracts lot of bounce," Qayoom added.

Qayoom was the highest wicket taker for JK and recently overtaken by Samiullah Beig, another express pacer who spearheaded the state bowling for over a decade.

Beig who shares the new ball with Umar and Ram Dayal - another promising fast bowler from Jammu - in the recent Ranji matches says he (Umar) bowled long spells without compromising on pace in adverse heat conditions.

He has started to peak this year. He bowled much better than the figures tell us," he said.

"If he is lucky on a given day, there is no looking back. He is ready. I am hopeful he will get a chance," Beig told News 18.

Beig said Umar works very hard on his fitness and in last six months he has lost 15 kgs.

"He is leaner and meaner now, has four packs ... lot of energy and stamina." he said and added he has stuck to a strict regimen and seems he won't give that up as it has done world of good to his cricket and performance.

"He has got talent and can fill in in both short and long format for the country. We have seen that in both Ranji and Mushtaq Ali trophy," chipped in Qayoom who has worked with Umar since he started his career in 2009 for U-19 squad.

The right hand pacer's performance in Mushtaq Ali tourney helped JK to trounce three strong teams - a first after many years of dismal performances and statistics. He took 9 wickets in last five T-20 outings at an average of 15, prompting the selectors to pick him for the North Zone squad.

"He was economical and took early wickets even when we had not put a good total on the board," said a team member.

The star-studded North Zone team is led by Harbhajan Singh and includes Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Diwan. Kashmiri star cricketer Parvez Rasool is also in the squad.

Hailing from South Kashmir district of Pulwama, Umar belongs to a middle class family. His father is a timber businessman while mother is a home maker.

"I took to cricket because my father supported me. He played what is called for a mohalla team," said Umar.

"If I get to play on Sunday, I will make most of it,'' Umar told this reporter while boarding a flight for Mumbai - where North plays South Zone on Sunday.

"It is my dream to turn out in India colours, and my day will come soon" he signed off.

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