The untold story of Lasith Malinga and his battle with Sri Lankan Cricket Board
Nothing would have spellbound the Sri Lankan cricket fans of the 90s like a Sanath Jayasuriya square cut for a six or a trademark pick-up shot of his to the leg side. But for a Sri Lankan cricket fan of the 21st century, who neither had the luxury of seeing the Jaysuriya mavericks consistently nor the prowess of Aravinda de Silva, after 2003, it is Lasith Malinga's toe-crushers and lethal bouncers that incite Lankan-esque celebrations and dancing in the aisles.
Perhaps, after Jaysuriya, nobody has ever managed to procure the curiosity of the general fan following or match the aura that he brought into a cricket field. When the man arrives at the crease, the destiny of the bowlers can easily be seen in the eyes of Lankan cricket fans. There was something for the spectators to look for every time Jaysuriya came to bat, even if it ended up in a losing cause.
With the waning of the great Lankan opening batsman's effectiveness, it was Malinga who brought back the same bravado into Sri Lankan cricket. Every time he bowls, we expect a wicket. It was rather usual to see the batsmen hopping, ducking and tumbling having no answer to Malinga's bumpers, yorkers and slower ones, though these sights have started to vanish gradually, much due to the new ODI rules.
Malinga has been a match-winner for Sri Lanka and, very often than not, has helped his team snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. No cricket fan can ever forget his double hat-trick against South Africa when a Sri Lankan defeat was all but assured. He is the only cricketer to have taken 3 hat-tricks in ODIs, and the world is yet to see someone who can bowl yorkers as consistently as he can. There is no second word that he is perhaps the most feared fast bowler ever produced by Sri Lanka. In a country in which bowlers who can bowl over 145 kmph consistently are as rare as water in mars, let alone the accuracy, Malinga brought in express pace coupled with his weird action and impeccable accuracy that has even troubled the best of the bests.
Chaminda Vaas – Lasith Malinga
Soon after becoming the successor of Chaminda Vaas, he was shouldered with the responsibility of leading the Lankan bowling line-up, as well, as Muttiah Muralitharan called it a day. Sri Lanka’s victory depended, and still depends, on his success in the cricketing field. When Sri Lanka performs poorly, it is a no-brainer to say that Malinga wouldn’t have faired any better, either. The fact that the outcome of Sri Lanka's performance depends invariably on Malinga's performance says you how much the nation depends on him. At a time when Malinga's commitment and patriotism are severely questioned by media, public and the administrators, this article, I believe, would provide insights into where the actual fault exists.
As Vaas was more than happy to shoulder the burden of leading the bowling attack that was consistently erratic, to say the least, during his playing days, the selectors were given the luxury of squandering quite a few fast bowling talents. It was during the twilight of Vaas' carrier that Sri Lanka's need to find someone who would fill his shoes began, and the fast bowling crown was passed on to Malinga. Not long before had Malinga suffered the most noxious injury that would continue to haunt him for the rest of his carrier. Sri Lanka cricket was blase, since Vaas was doing the job for them. There was no necessity for the board to nurture their second-choice bowler. That meant Malinga lost his central contract in 2008, and the image of a fiery bowler started to peter out.
"After the injury nobody looked after me and I was not offered a contract. The 2008 interim committee did not care for my well-being. But thanks to the IPL I didn't lose anything but I improved my cricket a lot. I'm saddened the way I was treated but not disappointed," Malinga told Cricinfo.
Break from Test cricket
Since Sri Lanka's bowling was not in dire straits then, the selectors were not perturbed by his injury, nor was the Cricket Board bothered about what this man did. It was after the World Cup, with the retirement of Murali, the selectors realized the consequence and desert of Malinga. The fact that we don't realise the value of something until we lose was true as far as SLC was concerned. After the stalwarts of Sri Lankan bowling retired, the selectors could not look beyond anyone but Malinga to lead the bowling attack in all three formats of the game. Malinga made a return to Test cricket in 2009 with a Man-of-the-Match performance against the Indians in Muralitharan's last Test match.
The injury that he sustained in 2008 was so severe and started to loom after his concerted effort in the Test, that he was rested for the second. In the third Test he came back, but, in the fifth day morning, when Sri Lanka needed Malinga to pick early wickets to have the game at their mercy, Malinga could not bowl, thanks to his injury. Malinga played no Tests thereafter. He would not have contemplated retirement from Test cricket and would have, instead, hoped for his ailing right knee to heal before playing the longer format at regular intervals, but the mercenaries of Sri Lanka cricket forced him to quit Test cricket questioning his commitment and demanding him to play in the England tour.
Malinga announced his retirement citing "long-standing degenerative condition in the right knee". He intended to continue playing the shorter formats, though, and hoped to play in the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup. Sri Lanka Cricket asked him to return home and undergo a rehabilitation programme, but Malinga clarified that his condition stopped him from playing only the longest format.
Official statement:
"Although I am sufficiently fit to play both ODI and T20 cricket, I have a long-standing degenerative condition in my right knee that needs to be carefully managed.
"The condition relates directly to the chronic knee injury I sustained playing for Sri Lanka in Australia back in February 2008, an injury that prevented me from playing ODI cricket for 16 months. The injury was a career-threatening injury and my orthopaedic surgeon was of the opinion that given his experience with other professional athletes in Australia I was very fortunate to play again.
“I have since been advised by the national team physiotherapist and my orthopaedic consultant that my condition will deteriorate when fielding or bowling for prolonged periods. I did try to return to Test cricket after a three-year absence last year [against India] following requests from the team management and the selectors, but it left me unfit nursing severe knee pain for two months.
“I have realised that the heavy workload of Test cricket, which requires a fast bowler to be able to bowl more than 15 overs, sometimes on consecutive days, could lead to permanent injury. I have carefully considered my options and have decided that not playing Test cricket will help me achieve my goal of representing Sri Lanka in the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup."