Lasith Malinga
Separamadu Lasith Malinga (born 28 August 1983), in Galle, popularly as Lasith Malinga, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and 2014 ICC World Twenty20 winning captain. He was the captain of Twenty20 International side for Sri Lanka, until 7 March 2016, where Malinga stepped down from captaincy due to his continuous injuries.
Malinga is a specialist fast bowler with a unique round-arm action, sometimes referred to as a sling action, which leads to his nickname, “Slinga Malinga” and conversely, his bowling style being nicknamed “Malinga the Slinga” both terms still consistently being associated with him in street cricket and general cricketing society.
He is known for his ability to take consecutive wickets, with in-swinging death yorkers: he is the only bowler in the world to have two World Cup hat-tricks, the only bowler to have taken three hat-tricks in ODIs and the only player to have taken four wickets in four consecutive balls in any form of international cricket. On 22 April 2011, he announced his retirement from Test cricket. He bowls around a speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). His fastest ball was clocked at 155.7 km/h (96.8 mph) in 2011, which is still tied for the 4th fastest speed amongst active bowlers (shared with Dale Steyn) as of 3 January, 2015.
His ODI and T20 bowling average and economy rate are amongst the best in the game.He is known for his ability to bowl yorkers and slower bowls to restrict scoring in the later overs of games. He is the highest wicket taker in all Twenty20 cricket and highest wicket taker for Sri Lanka in Twenty20 Internationals as well.
Malinga was the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team that won the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and was part of the team that made the final of 2007 Cricket World Cup, 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and 2012 ICC World Twenty20.
Early years:
Malinga grew up in modest circumstances in Rathgama, a coastal village situated 12 km North-West of Galle. He often played cricket with friends on the sand banks and coconut groves by a river in his cricket-obsessed village. He had his education at three schools, namely Mahinda College, Galle, Vidyaloka College, Galle and Vidyathilake Vidyalaya, Thiranagama. Malinga had his primary education at Vidyathilake Vidyalaya in Thiranagama, a school situated near by his village. After passing the grade 5 Scholarship Examination in 1993, he entered Vidyaloka College, Galle for his secondary education, where incidentally he also started his cricket career. Here he was discovered by former Sri Lankan paceman Champaka Ramanayake. Champaka, so impressed by Malinga’s raw ability, invited him to join the Galle Cricket Club. Champaka also helped him to join the first XI cricket team of Mahinda College, Galle. A short-lived attempt to make Malinga’s action more upright led to much reduced pace and failing accuracy. Malinga promptly returned to his natural action with success, and with great encouragement from Ramanayake.
Records:
Only bowler in cricketing history to take four wickets in four consecutive balls in international cricket (vs. South Africa March 2007).
The first and, to date, only bowler in cricketing history to take three hat-tricks in One Day International cricket, taking his third in August 2011.
Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews hold the highest run partnership for the 9th wicket in an ODI: 132 runs, against Australia in Melbourne in 2010.
Malinga scored 56 Runs from 48 balls including six fours and two sixes; Mathews scored 77 runs off 84 deliveries including eight fours and one six.
He is the only bowler with two World Cup hat tricks, against South Africa in the 2007 Cricket World Cup and the other against Kenya in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Best Twenty20 figures in Australian domestic and 2nd in the world.
As of February 2016, Lasith Malinga, with 299 wickets in 221 games is the highest wicket-taker in all Twenty20 matches.
Lasith Malinga now holds highest number of wickets (143) in Indian Premier League.
Career statistics:
Test
Matches: 30
Runs scored: 275
100s/50s: 0/1
Top score: 64
Wickets: 101
Best bowling: 5/50
ODI
Matches: 191
Runs scored: 475
100s/50s: 0/1
Top score: 56
Wickets: 291
Best bowling: 6/38
T20I
Matches: 62
Runs scored: 71
100s/50s: -/-
Top score: 27
Wickets: 78
Best bowling: 5/31
