Chaminda Vaas - a type difficult to replace
by Tyrell Peiris
 Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lanka’s
greatest fast bowler ever, who lost his place in the National team, has
suddenly re-emerged. That is on the Indian scene playing in the now
popular Indian Premier League (IPL). Representing the Deccan Charges
captained by former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, Chaminda Vaas,
at 36 years, showed why he ranks among the greats. That is when he
claimed the wickets of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Manoj Tiwary and Sourav
Ganguly in Mumbai. At Chepauk on Sunday, he dismissed M.Vijay, Suresh
Raina and Matthew Hayden.
By his recent performances, Vaas has disproved Sri Lanka’s chief
selector Ashantha de Mel who had made out that his days were over. Only
months age, there had been a call for his retirement from all forms of
cricket; in fact, Vaas’ pace had dropped alarmingly and this meant his
slower ball was not really a variation. His swing was easy to pick up by
the batsmen and his confidence seemed to have gone. So after having
claimed 355 test wickets, a record effort by a Sri Lankan fast bowler at
29.58, Vaas dropped out. His tally of wickets is only second to Muttiah
Muralitharan at international level.
As his form dropped, many asked whether he should not be dropped out
of 50 over cricket and Twenty20. Overall, Vaas’ bowling effort
internationally stands out. In 322, ODI’s he claimed a record number of
400 wickets dismissing the greatest of batsmen including Sachin
Tendulkar so many times. Vaas’ type will be difficult to replace.
Chaminda Vaas is easily the most penetrative and successful new-ball
bowler Sri Lanka has had, and he has served his country well. He swings
and seams the ball with skill, his trademark delivery being the late
indipper. However he also bowls a carefully disguised offcutter, and has
recently added reverse-swing to his armoury, a skill that has made him a
consistent wicket-taker even on bland subcontinental pitches.
He outbowled New Zealand’s seamers in green conditions at Napier to
give Sri Lanka their first win in an overseas Test in 1994-1995. In
2001-2002, he made a quantum leap, taking 26 wickets in the 3-0 rout of
West Indies, becoming only the second fast bowler, after Imran Khan, to
take 14 wickets in a match in the subcontinent. He then went on to take
the first-ever ODI eight against Zimbabwe which included a hat-trick. He
also claimed a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match against
Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup. Vaas reached the 300-wicket milestone
in Tests against India in 2005-06, having passed the mark in ODIs on the
tour of Zimbabwe.
In 2004 he also gained overdue recognition for his talent when he was
selected for the World XI at the inaugural ICC Awards. Vaas is easily
Sri Lanka’s second-most successful bowler - after Muttiah Muralitharan -
in both forms of the game. His aproach to his batting is equally sincere
and in recent years, he has gradually gained recognition as a useful
allrounder. He waited 97 Tests for his maiden century, against Bagladesh
and soon after, became the third Sri Lankan to play 100 Tests or more.
Indeed, Vaas has been really at work with the new ball. Batsmen are
being set up and then lured to fall in to his trap. His early blows have
provided Chargers the momentum.
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