Lasith Malinga

[Richard]

I mean you don't know his, er, idiosyncracies (the way most people, you included, know mine).

That's a very, very Arjun comment. He's of the opinion that tall height is a basic prerequistite of the power required to bowl at 140kph+. And while most of the bowlers who've consistently bowled quick have indeed been fairly tall, there have been exceptions. Laaaasith Maaaaalinga might well be one such.

 

[Pup Clarke]

I mean you don't know his, er, idiosyncracies (the way most people, you included, know mine).

That's a very, very Arjun comment. He's of the opinion that tall height is a basic prerequistite of the power required to bowl at 140kph+. And while most of the bowlers who've consistently bowled quick have indeed been fairly tall, there have been exceptions. Laaaasith Maaaaalinga might well be one such.

Cheers Richard.

 

[shortpitched713]

That Malcolm Marshall bloke was a giant I heard.

 

[Spitfires_Fan]

Haven't seen all that much of Malinga but he excites me - it's good for cricket that at a time when great bowlers like McGrath and Warne are retiring, a new, young and different prospect has come along and started to make an impact. I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops.

 

[Nishant]

Haven't seen all that much of Malinga but he excites me - it's good for cricket that at a time when great bowlers like McGrath and Warne are retiring, a new, young and different prospect has come along and started to make an impact. I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops.

yep...thats the best thing abt his...he has peaked at a good time in terms of the whole picture of international cricket. He is definitely the most exciting of the seamers at the moment and he is young which is even better.
With that said, it is always a breath of fresh air, so to speak, to see a bowler dominating over batsmen on occasions.

 

[Richard]

That Malcolm Marshall bloke was a giant I heard.

And as for Roberts, Holding, Garner, Walsh, Gray, Bishop, Ambrose...

 

[SJS]

Malinga is a superb bowler. How good he will eventually be over his career is to be seen. Its too premature to use words like great or potential great but we do it so easily that its not surprising.

His uniqueness is his action which is uncommon. Its not just a slinging action which other bowlers have had in the past but how low his arm is. Its closer to the horizontal than anything that one can recall in four decades of watching international cricket. This makes it

- Easy to suspect that he will be inaccurate. That he isnt is a great credit to him.
- Easy to expect him to just make the ball go away from the right hander (as it continues in its angled flight. The fact that he iis able to make it swing both conventional and reverse is again great credit to him
- Easy to think he wil get hurt because of his unusual action. Actually a slinging action is not that much susceptible to shoulder trouble as people suspect. This is how bowling evolved from under arm to the perpendicular and its the perpendicular deliveries, more so the inswing by a right hander to a right hander, that put un-natural (as far as awkward positioning are concorrned) stresses on the shoulder in particular. The stresses on the feet are more related to the chest positioning and the adjustments made to get the widely angled delivery get in line. Its over emphasised in my opinion.
- The most important thing this action does for Malinga is that the ball comes from a completely different height and direction than the batsman is used to. This is a big advantage at the speed at which he bowls. Add to that his movement and very well directed yorkers and you have a deadly mix.
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It can be thought that the batsmen will get used to him and play him better over time. Its correct in theory but not perffect in practice when the bowler has assets other than mere novelty of action. Malinga has speed, movement and accuracy to go with his unusual action which makes him a difficult customer for all but the very very best.

I suspect that he may get better over time. The only worry is that his action is very physical and he may be prone to injury like Shoaib who is very physical too but I have a feeling that his (Malinga's) action is actually easier on his body than Shoaib's is on his.

Time will tell.

 

[Richard]

Shoaib's body is just weak - he said sometime not so long that "it'd be nice just to play one game without pain" or something. Really opens the eyes.

Whether Maaaaalinga turns-out the same, we wait to see. Let's hope not.

 

[Prince EWS]

May I ask, Richard, why you always include so many A's in Lasith Malinga's names? Usually there's an amusing story behind such patterns.

 

[Richard]

Same reason Mitchell does in Haaakon's, TBH - so many Englishmen mispronounce his name Lusseeth Mullinger, and the true pronunciation is Laaasith Maaalinga. I just like to get that right. Australians are every bit as bad with Arjeeet Aaaguker.

 

[R_D]

You're not 100% familar with Arjun yet, I don't think.

does Fernando have 6 hitting ability, haven't seen much of him bat really.
Fernando at times seems like a good bowler than he'll bowl his usual tripe you think why the hell is he still in the team. He's inconsistent much like AA and seems to get as many chances as him.

As for Malinga, like watching him bowl; he's probaly got one of the most deadliest yorker in the game at the moment.. exciting player to watch. Seems to improve every time i see him bowl as well. I hope his development continues and he turns out to be a very good player which i'm sure he'll as long as injuries stay away from him *touch wood*.

 

[Richard]

does Fernando have 6 hitting ability, haven't seen much of him bat really.

No, but he has height (unlike Maaalinga) which is Arjun's pet-love in bowlers.

 

[Burgey]

Shoaib's body is just weak - he said sometime not so long that "it'd be nice just to play one game without pain" or something. Really opens the eyes.QUOTE]
Not as weak as it would have been without a little help......

 

[Richard]

FFS, do you really imagine he's been taking steroids all his career? Do you know how much was found in his bloodstream in the tests that were announced?

(And, frankly, would you blame him if it meant less pain?)

 

[Pratters]

(And, frankly, would you blame him if it meant less pain?)

(Of course.)

 

[Goughy]

Shoaib's body is just weak - he said sometime not so long that "it'd be nice just to play one game without pain" or something. Really opens the eyes.

Whether Maaaaalinga turns-out the same, we wait to see. Let's hope not.

Im no Shoaib fan but I wouldnt call his body weak. Pain is a shadow for fast bowlers and I myself (obviously not as quick as him) would echo the same sentiments as Shoaib.

Fast bowling hurts especially if you charge in like he does and once you have a few injuries the body starts to wear down and pain becomes an everyday occurance.

In fact I take my hat off to him (not the steroids thing though). About 8 years ago I played with a team mate of his from Rawalpindi (cant remember his name) and he said there was no way Shoaib could last 3 years doing what he was doing. He prvoed him wrong.

If there is one thing in cricket that I dislike as much as spinners (see another thread) it is that few people, even those playing the game, have no idea what fast bowlers go through in terms of pain and injury.

As for Malinga, he is exciting and fun to watch. How good he will be is a question to be answered in 5 years time but he is good for cricket.

 

[Richard]

Im no Shoaib fan but I wouldnt call his body weak. Pain is a shadow for fast bowlers and I myself (obviously not as quick as him) would echo the same sentiments as Shoaib.

Fast bowling hurts especially if you charge in like he does and once you have a few injuries the body starts to wear down and pain becomes an everyday occurance.

In fact I take my hat off to him (not the steroids thing though). About 8 years ago I played with a team mate of his from Rawalpindi (cant remember his name) and he said there was no way Shoaib could last 3 years doing what he was doing. He prvoed him wrong.

If there is one thing in cricket that I dislike as much as spinners (see another thread) it is that few people, even those playing the game, have no idea what fast bowlers go through in terms of pain and injury.

So most bowlers of, say, 80mph+, are in pain more often than not?

Eeek.

 

[Goughy]

So most bowlers of, say, 80mph+, are in pain more often than not?

Eeek.

Depending on action, effort and injuries but yes and the stresses on the body increase dramatically from 80 mph (approx 129 kph) to 85 mph (approx 137 kph).

It may seem a small difference in speed but as the body gets pushed further towards its limits the more likely it is for something to go wrong and for it to suffer continued pain.

 

[Richard]

Oh, yes, obviously. Shoaib, for instance, has an action which involves huge effort while, say, Andy Caddick has a much more metronomic one.

Just one of those "the more you expend, the more you are rewarded and punished" things I suppose.

 

[adharcric]

So most bowlers of, say, 80mph+, are in pain more often than not?

Eeek.

Doubt it's just the pace that leads to pain. Fast bowling can be very strenuous and it can take a toll on your body, even if you only bowl in the 70s for example.