Malinga slings himself out of Test squad by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Event:

Sri Lanka in England 2006

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DateLine: 24th May 2006

 

Birmingham: Despite repeated calls by several ex-Sri Lankan cricketers, including Aravinda De Silva, for Lasith Malinga’s inclusion in the team for their second Test against England here at Edgbaston, the bowler himself does not seem confident of his chances of being included.

 

Sri Lanka's attack managed just six wickets in the first Test at Lord's - and five of those were shared between key off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and experienced left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas - as England piled up 551 for six declared in the drawn series opener.

 

This led to suggestions that the 22-year-old with the distinctive sling shot action, who has taken 54 wickets in 15 Tests at a respectable 29.48, might be called up at Edgbaston.

 

But when asked by reporters at the ground on Tuesday what his chances of playing were he replied: "No. The last Test match all our players did very good jobs, both batsmen and bowlers but unfortunately the wickets didn't come."

 

Malinga's unusual action perturbed the New Zealand batsmen to such an extent during a recent Test series that they asked the umpires to change their trousers and remove their ties as they were having trouble seeing the ball.

 

"If the New Zealand batsmen are not comfortable then whatever," said Malinga. "I always try to take wickets, not contain. I like to unsettle the batsman with bouncers, yorkers and change of pace.

 

"I think batsmen struggle with my action, it's difficult to pick and it unsettles them."

 

Malinga believes that his action has remained unchanged since childhood.

 

"At first I played a lot of beach cricket and softball cricket, with a tennis ball. I started when I was five or six and I always had the same action.

 

"It was always natural and I've never changed," said Malinga, who was timed at 91mph during the series in New Zealand.