Cricket they say is a funny game and it mainly pertains to the change of fortunes during a match especially Test matches. But in this instance we talk of the career of one of the most colourful fast bowlers Sri Lanka and the world has seen Lasith Malinga whose chequered career has been illuminated with stunning bowling performances that had made him once the most feared one-day bowler in international cricket and controversies that has defined his character.
Malinga was no darling of the spectators although he was their hero at the peak of his powers and was dubbed ‘Slinga’ Malinga because of his unusual bowling action. He did not mince words and was not afraid to call a spade a spade. That forthright approach did not go down well in some sections of the media as well as with certain cricket board officials who in connivance with a former Sports Minister contrived to destroy his career.
There was a time when a former chairman of selectors went on record to state that Malinga was not in their plans for the 2019 World Cup and that he was a spent force.
However given the chance Malinga proved them wrong. Making his ODI comeback in the Asia Cup in UAE he took four wickets in his first match against Bangladesh and followed it up with figures of 5 for 44 against England at Dambulla. He showed in those matches that by far he was still his country’s best one-day bowler even at the age of 35. He may have lost his pace but his toe crushing yorkers were still effective combined with his cleverly disguised slow ball.
The return of former Sri Lanka fast bowling spearhead Ashantha de Mel to the post of chief selector has certainly given Malinga a new lease of life that gives him an opportunity to retire on a high, a situation that was not conducive 18 months ago when he referred to former Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera as a “monkey” following the Minister’s remarks aimed at the Champions trophy squad criticizing the players for being overweight, and was subsequently overlooked for selection on the pretext that he was ‘over the hill’ and his best playing were behind him.
With Sri Lanka continuing to suffer defeat after defeat in ODIs there was no way the selectors could keep a player of Malinga’s caliber out for long and the very same chief selector Graeme Labrooy who wrote him off from the 2019 World Cup had to go back on his words and picked him for the Asia Cup. To add more salt to the wound Malinga was the only Sri Lankan to be brought at the 2019 IPL auction representing Mumbai Indians.
Chairman of selectors De Mel sees Malinga as the right man to lead Sri Lanka’s 2019 World Cup campaign in England.
The initial move in that direction was made when Malinga was handed the ODI and T20I captaincy for the ongoing tour of New Zealand replacing Dinesh Chandimal from that position. Sri Lanka play New Zealand in a series of three ODIs starting at Mount Maunganui today and all eyes will be on the ‘Slinga’ as he prepares to deliver. This is a golden opportunity for Malinga to stake a claim to captain his country in a World Cup.
Sri Lanka’s batting which has been their bane in ODI cricket will have a new batting coach from this series when former Durham county head coach Jon Lewis takes over from Thilan Samaraweera. Sri Lanka already have in place former Australia wicket-keeper Steve Rixon as their fielding coach. Both Lewis and Rixon are contracted with SLC until the end of the 2019 World Cup.
“We felt that he has the ability to get the best out of all the players and he leads from the front,” said De Mel. “Lasith is looking at retiring after the World Cup and would like to go off on a high so he will give his 100 percent. These are the reasons we selected him to captain the ODI and T20I teams.”
“Lasith has captained provincial sides and they have done very well. We talked to the coaches and we got a feedback from them how his thinking and leadership is. He is a thinking cricketer. I remember the time I was there as chief selector we appointed him as vice-captain but I don’t know for what reason they took him off after that. At that time we were grooming him for captaincy and then he was out. Then he came back and captained the team to win the 2014 World T20. We feel he is the best to captain. We are looking at his captaincy until the World Cup,” De Mel continued.
“We are looking at his bowling and leadership. In the last 6 games he played after making a comeback he took a five-wicket and four-wicket haul. Basically he is a bowler who can take wickets and he is good in the overs when the batsmen are trying to score runs. The best way to contain any side is to take wickets and Malinga has that ability. He has to use himself strategically in times that are hard where you put your hand up and deliver the goods. A lot of the fast bowlers have a lot of respect for him.
“For us attitude doesn’t matter as long as discipline is there. Attitude is to do with the players’ confidence. Confident players have confident attitudes we must not try to suppress their confidence. If they are breaking rules then the management has to take action. We don’t have any agendas we are not favouring any players but look at what is best for Sri Lanka cricket.” De Mel said.
If Malinga can repay the faith the selectors are laying on him, then Sri Lanka cricket could be resurrected from the rut they have fallen into in one-day cricket.
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