Fitter, quicker, blonder Lasith Malinga makes superb comeback for Sri Lanka in Asia Cup

Ajit Vijaykumar 19:11 15/09/2018
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  • Malinga was on fire in Dubai.

    Lasith Malinga has a point to prove. To the Sri Lankan board, to cricket followers, maybe some in his team as well.

    It had been a year since Malinga had donned Sri Lankan colours. The last time he played for Sri Lanka was at home against India. Not only did the Sri Lankans lose the entire tour 9-0, the reputation of one of their most famous and charismatic cricketers took quite the hit.

    Lasith Malinga had rattled many batsmen over the years with his pace, late swing and heat-seeking missiles in the guise of yorkers. But the Malinga of 2017 was down on pace, carrying just that extra kilo or two, and coming on to the bat at just the right speed to be dispatched the boundary.

    It looked like his international career was as good as over. What made things worse for him were reports of discontent in the Sri Lankan board after he apparently made some scathing assessments regarding selection, preparation, scheduling and player management during a meeting with the administration.

    The 2019 World Cup thus looked well out of Malinga’s range and with international cricket out of the picture, T20 league contracts seemed like the next casualty.

    But ‘Mali’ wasn’t done. He improved his fitness and got his opportunity at the Global T20 League in Canada. There he was the third highest wicket taker of the tournament playing for Montreal Tigers. He picked up 13 wickets from six matches at an economy of 6.4.

    However, it wasn’t enough to earn selection for the one-off T20 against South Africa at home in August. But Malinga kept at it. Proving his match-readiness in Sri Lanka’s domestic T20 competition, the 35-year-old forced his way back into the Sri Lankan team for the Asia Cup.

    Sri Lanka needed an experienced pacer looking at the 2019 World Cup in England and Malinga showed be can still turn up the heat with the ball.

    And in the opening match of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Saturday, Malinga proved it beyond doubt that the fire still burns bright inside him.

    In the opening over of the tournament, Malinga – sporting one of his blondest ever hairdos – generated good pace and late movement off the pitch. Opener Liton Das had no clue as he tried to poke at an away swinger and could only edge the ball to first slip.

    Next up was star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Malinga had a special delivery for the left-hander first ball – an in-swinging yoker. The stumps were shattered and Malinga was back.

    Malinga’s next over was a maiden. The pace was back over 140kph and you could see that the batsmen were hurried into their shots.

    Malinga’s first four overs went for just eight runs. When he returned for his second spell, Mohammad Mithun and Mushfiqur Rahim had hit fifties and added 131 runs. The Tigers looked on their way to a good score as Sri Lanka’s ground fielding and catching floundered.

    And the first over of his new spell, Mithun tried to launch the pacer over mid wicket but only managed a top edge that was pouched safely by the keeper. One more wicket in his next made it four for Malinga. What a difference one year makes.

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