Malinga to be named Fast Bowling Coach amidst concerns

by Rex Clementine

The High-Profile Cricket Advisory Committee has recommended to Sri Lanka Cricket’s Executive Committee to name former fast bowling great Lasith Malinga as a Consultant Coach of the national cricket team. Malinga’s appointment will be one off with him overseeing the upcoming tour of Australia where the national cricket team will play five T-20 Internationals. Malinga is the most successful bowler in T-20 format having come up with stellar performances for the national cricket team and he is an icon in the Indian Premier League having helped Mumbai Indians to multiple crowns. However, his appointment has not gone down too well with all stakeholders of the sport.

Despite all his achievements on the cricketing field, Malinga remains a polarizing figure. Adored by millions of fans, he wasn’t the most likeable person in the dressing room with a host of Sri Lankan captains having concerns about his conduct.

It is alleged that Malinga deliberately slowed down the over rate with the intention of suspending the captain, an allegation that SLC has not investigated. Cricket’s playing conditions at one point dictated that slow over rates would result in fines for players and suspension for the captain. Since then, the International Cricket Council has amended the playing conditions and the captain is no longer suspended.

Although Sri Lanka won the ICC World T-20 in 2014 under Malinga’s captaincy having filled in for the suspended Dinesh Chandimal, his overall record as captain is horrendous. Malinga captained Sri Lanka in nine ODIs and all nine ended in defeats. Of the 24 T20s he captained, 15 were losses.

The Island learns that the Cricket Advisory Committee where Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda de Silva and Muttiah Muralitharan are members had their concerns in endorsing Malinga as Fast Bowling Consultant Coach. The recommendation is believed to have come from former captain and Consultant Coach Mahela Jayawardene, who has been given the responsibility to ensure that Malinga stays on track.

What the latest development means is that Chaminda Vaas who has done an excellent job as Fast Bowling Coach has gone out of the equation. Vaas’ contract was reviewed after it expired in December. It is learnt that the Sri Lanka’s most successful fast bowler in Test cricket had requested for a longer contract and job security rather than a tour-by-tour contracts.

Although there are concerns about Malinga’s appointment, it’s nothing alarming as the positive side is that he’s got much to offer especially when it comes to T-20 cricket having mastered the art of fast bowling in the shortest format.

As the old saying goes, there’s no saint without a past and no sinner without a future.