|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 22 August 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Thommo look alike Malinga says - 'I got slinging action from softball cricket' by Srian Obeyesekere "So many are likening me to Jeff Thomson, but I've never met him, and am looking forward to very much," says young Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka's newest fast bowling sensation. Of course, the most significant aspect to Malinga's thunderbolt, slinging, side arm action to put it in his own words is that 'it has come from a long rooted marriage to softball cricket.' "I've played softball cricket from the age of 13 and have derived my action from a 7-year long love for softball cricket", said Malinga, who has rocked the best of batsmen with his awesome 147 kilometre deliveries, in an interview with the 'Sunday Observer.' He is just 20 years of age, and hails from the port city of Galle where cricket has come to be embraced as wildly by its inhabitants as they do the Dutch enriched citadel for its historic attraction that go with its sun, sea and sand. Above all, what has catapulted this son of the South to virtual overnight fame is his uncanny ability of slinging the ball in the most unique of lightning actions that has sent batsmen hurrying on the back foot. Released from near the umpire's ear unlike other bowlers who thunder down, Malinga's deliveries have become admittedly by batsmen to be near unreadable. Some of the Australian batsmen, who faced the Sri Lankan bowler during the recent tour of Australia, had reportedly stated that the release of the ball by Malinga seemed as undiscernable as getting unsighted by an obstructed sightscreen because he looked like as if he would knock the head umpire's ear in releasing the ball. Kick start Indeed, the Mahinda College revelation has happily given a new kick start to Sri Lankan cricket as far as fast bowling goes. A fact best manifested by his telling bowling performance in Sri Lanka's historic home series triumph over South Africa. Malinga claimed only 4 wickets in the second Test, his third appearance at that level. But the right armer, nicknamed 'Pocket Rocket' by the Australians for releasing the ball seemingly almost from his trouser pocket, made a devastating impact on the South African batsmen for sheer pace and bounce. What was his most memorable moment in that triumph ? "Of course getting the wicket of opener Herschelle Gibbs," quipped Malinga who added, "When I was given the ball in the second innings at first I did not think the wicket would be helpful to pacies because it was said to favour spinners on the final day. But soon I discovered that the wicket was fine for short pitched stuff. I found the short bounce working well, and Gibbs, known to be a puller, fell for the bait." For Malinga, the euphoria of achieving a historic series win over South Africa in winning the second Test match, was a `dream start' to his career on home soil. "For it was my first ever Test match appearance for Sri Lanka on home soil, and to have got off to a winning start back home was memorable." "How did you get the nickname `Pocket Rocket' ? "It was the Australian media because they liken the ball coming out of my pocket," he replied. For the record, Malinga has already claimed 14 wickets from 3 Test match appearances for his country. Ten of them came in Australia. And of course, the lad has fond memories of that tour 'down under.' "In my debut in the first Test at Darwin I claimed 6 wickets - 2 in the first innings and 4 in the second innings - which was a fine start to my career," said Malinga. What was his most memorable moment in Australia ? "Getting the wicket of Darren Lehman on debut," quipped Malinga. If Malinga is the latest sensation, his action derived by playing softball cricket is indeed a shot in the arm for that pastime, which has in contrast to leatherball cricket over the years, taken a backseat for all its attraction country-wide. Cadjan garden As Malinga went down memory lane,'I have not changed my action one bit from my softball playing days as a 13-year old in a cadjan garden in the Ratgama village in Galle with other kids.' "For me it was a habit of playing softball cricket almost daily." What started him on a career which beckons him sky high on the big stage ? "It was from an under-17 match turning out for Vidyaloka Maha Vidyalaya versus Neluwa M.V. in the Galle District that started me on. One of the umpire's in that match, Keerthie Dharmapriya happened to be the coach of Mahinda College, and when I took 6 wickets he invited me to join Mahinda," disclosed Malinga. At Mahinda College, Malinga played three seasons from 2000 to 2003 while also turning out for Galle C.C. in the Premier Division-I Cricket Tournament. Coincidence "It was at Galle C.C. that my talent was spotted by Champaka Ramanayake, the club player cum coach and Sri Lankan fast bowling coach," revealed Malinga. But, as Malinga recalled, the break was quite co-incidental. But it so happened that he could not play in a match owing to a sprained ankle against Colombo Cricket Club, and I stood in for him. In that match I claimed 8 wickets and it opened the doors for me". And to this day Malinga is ever grateful to Ramanayake who he said, 'brought me to Colombo at the age of 17 and got me started on. "Matter of fact at age 17 most don't stand a chance of getting into a star studded team in Colombo, but I managed to make it to the NCC," he reasoned. And today, Lasith Malinga, the second of three brothers in a family of three whose sole bread winner is their mother, looks forward to making the grade on the international circuit. Bread winner "At the moment I'm unemployed, but expecting employment shortly at the Hatton National Bank. But over the years it has been my mom, Swarna Thenuwara employed in a Gramiya Bank who has supported the family. His father Milton and elder brother Teron Duminda Swarnajith are unemployed, and younger brother Eshan Swarnajith is still schooling. While Malinga looks to make the most of his career, for Sri Lankan cricket it is another success story in the development of the pace bowling department, once found wanting when the country had to place much dependance on spin bowling. But with more and more crops of youngsters feeding the mainstream in an islandwide talent finecombing drive under Ramanayake's wing, Sri Lanka has begun to shed a once skeleton image in that department. And Chaminda Vaas, as former Australian captain turned TV commmentator Ian Chappell remarked in the second Test, has fine tuned the art to wicket taking heights on such slow sub-continent wickets even with the old ball which augured well. In so much that Sri Lanka had displayed they could win without necessarily preparing fast wickets. A fact best demonstrated against South Africa sans strike bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan who, had hitherto, been winning matches for the country virtually singlehandedly. While Malinga is eager to meet Jeff Thomson to further discuss the finer points of the art where `I could learn from Thomson, he insists, "My action is my own, and I've never role modelled on any heroes." |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
