don't know about england, but in india, he probably won't have played many matches. Don't get me wrong, i feel that boy is as talented as anyone of his age, but playing for a side with so many good scorers (i put it as scorers, not batsmen, not that i am saying there are not many good batsmen in india, but in contrary, there are too many average players in indian system having a fc average of 50+, built mainly from milking poor attacks on flat belters for hours together) in a team, what you need is consistent run of good scores, making best out of your starts & most importantly conversion into 100s, 200s & 300s in fc to come into contention or sustain.
With his talent, he would have made it to the indian side at about same age probably, but for his casualness, recklessness, inconsistency & some what throwing wicket damn care attitude, i am sure he won't have sustained in indian team for long. He could carry his career uninterrupted, partially due to the merit of the batting lineup, partially due to his influential relations on & off the filed & lack of options for the management. I don't think anyone can expect a long career with a debut test century & failing to score a second one in next 2 years & about 30 innings for a good test side.
However, a player is groomed from the domestic systems & what i have seen, though in pak fc matches are of 4 days, due to being played in winters, at best 300 overs are possible in a match & players hardly gets opportunity to play long, long innings. So, from the very grass root levels, players are groomed to play fc matches with a over target in mind, to get results & dashing attitude creeps into their game. In india, there are 450-500 overs fc matches played on good batting surfaces, resulting youngsters play to stick for sessions, may be even for 150+ overs. With his talent, had been developed to bat for hours, he could be a different player all together. Also, i think, had he born in india, he must have gone to nca bangalore under dav, & as i have seen/followed that man closely enough for 5 years; either he would have made umar a great player that he should be or kicked him out of the system.
With his temperament, he would have been a darren maddy/simon brown type player under english condition; the day the ball middles the bat, he would be spectacular, but often losing out too cheaply. English selectors don't promote these type of player, neither they like to debut players under 25, therefore umar would have been unknown yet, had he born in england & might even have never played for them, but man, had the english system could harness his recklessness at early age, don't know where he could have finished with his talent.
No comparison yet, but let me quote something from gavasker, for a certain wi boy in early 70s. On his 74 tour of england, brain close showed him a young wi batsman at taunton nets and forecasted, "see this boy sunny, the greatest batsman of the world ever seen is developing here". Sunny had a look at the well-built boy of 21 & couldn't find anything apart from a very good hand-eye co-ordination & clean hitting power; but he couldn't argue with the man, brain close. That was the 2nd summer in somerset for that reckless, somewhat arrogant wi boy, who 2 years later in '76, played his first test series in england. Rest is history….., but again, no comparison yet, please.
....... :umarakmal ?
) 
At the moment he is the only good thing in our cricket!
