Lasith Malinga

[Athlai]

While posting at SS's thread on how upset he is about the lack of great pace bowlers in the longer game I was suprised to find that almost nobody rated Malinga.

In my opinion he is a brilliant player, I watched both series that he played against New Zealand.

The first time I watched him I was shocked at the way he bowled, as apparently were the Black Caps, he had early success coming away with 9 wickets in the first match for 210 runs. In the second test (where Sri Lanka were soundly beaten with NZ winning by an innings and 38 runs) he came in with the slightly less impressive figures of 2 for 134.

The action was the only real thing he had going for him, but then I saw Malinga come back, and my oh my, he was now a fast bowler with a few more tricks up his sleeve.

He left New Zealand this time with figures of 9 for 208. Less wickets but even more importantly, less runs.

Lasith Malinga always looks like he is about to take a wicket, very few batsman have ever looked comfortable against him from what I've seen, and he is young. He should be around for many more years to come at the forefront of Sri Lanka's attack.

Soon they will lose Murali but in his place comes a genuine wicket taker. I think CW under rates his ability and his potential but I would like to know, how do you think his career will pan out?

 

[andyc]

I rate him pretty highly. Should mean that SL won't miss Vaas that much once he's gone.

 

[DCC_legend]

I rate him highly to, was amazed at his action when i first saw him, but have been in aww of his ability every since. He certainly has teh talent and potential to be a great, he's also young so he can develop his skills further.

 

[Flem274*]

While posting at SS's thread on how upset he is about the lack of great pace bowlers in the longer game I was suprised to find that almost nobody rated Malinga.

In my opinion he is a brilliant player, I watched both series that he played against New Zealand.

The first time I watched him I was shocked at the way he bowled, as apparently were the Black Caps, he had early success coming away with 9 wickets in the first match for 210 runs. In the second test (where Sri Lanka were soundly beaten with NZ winning by an innings and 38 runs) he came in with the slightly less impressive figures of 2 for 134.

The action was the only real thing he had going for him, but then I saw Malinga come back, and my oh my, he was now a fast bowler with a few more tricks up his sleeve.

He left New Zealand this time with figures of 9 for 208. Less wickets but even more importantly, less runs.

Lasith Malinga always looks like he is about to take a wicket, very few batsman have ever looked comfortable against him from what I've seen, and he is young. He should be around for many more years to come at the forefront of Sri Lanka's attack.

Soon they will lose Murali but in his place comes a genuine wicket taker. I think CW under rates his ability and his potential but I would like to know, how do you think his career will pan out?

With any luck that shoulders gonna rip out of it's socket and rocket off towards the boundary fence.

Thats my kiwi supporters instinct coming through though.

Well I think he's damn good. I wanna kill him every time I see him against us and that only happens to me when good players are playing against NZ. So he's pretty good in my book.

 

[pasag]

The only worry is the injury concerns with his style. Can't see either him or Tait going for sustained periods uninjured tbh. Defintley a gun though, don't think people on CW underrate him either.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I rate hi very highly, pretty amazed at how straight he bowls given his action.

 

[Athlai]

The only worry is the injury concerns with his style. Can't see either him or Tait going for sustained periods uninjured tbh. Defintley a gun though, don't think people on CW underrate him either.

I always tried to work him in on the conversation for the next generation of top pace bowlers and very few seemed to be saying that he was up there.

 

[Matt79]

Think its too early to call him anything but a bowler who's made a very good start and has the potential to go on with it. Whether he can sustain his good start and whether he will become less effective as player's get more accustomed to his style remains to be seen.

 

[Flem274*]

He will be carrying the Sri Lankan attack when the other stars retire. Malinga/Fernando/Maharoof doesn't look very solid. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.

 

[Athlai]

Think its too early to call him anything but a bowler who's made a very good start and has the potential to go on with it. Whether he can sustain his good start and whether he will become less effective as player's get more accustomed to his style remains to be seen.

I think he has more going for him than just his style, he upped his pace significantly as well, which a lot batsman have trouble with anyway with a wicked reverse swing at times too.

 

[Athlai]

He will be carrying the Sri Lankan attack when the other stars retire. Malinga/Fernando/Maharoof doesn't look very solid. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.

Neither does Bond/Franklin/Martin, but it can win matches, Maharoof gets a lot of stick, he still has a bit in him I think. Fernando on the other hand is probably on the way out.

 

[Flem274*]

I think he has more going for him than just his style, he upped his pace significantly as well, which a lot batsman have trouble with anyway with a wicked reverse swing at times too.

Most lethal yorker in the game ATM IMO.

Here's how I rank the current nasty fasties.

Bond and Malinga






Akhtar, Asif, Lee, Ntini. Jones(he's a quickee I think)













Tait, Steyn, etc etc

 

[Flem274*]

Neither does Bond/Franklin/Martin, but it can win matches, Maharoof gets a lot of stick, he still has a bit in him I think. Fernando on the other hand is probably on the way out.

It interests me how Fernando seems to have the whole fancy hair thing going as well but he can't afford to realy, he's horrible. Nowhere near as good a bowler as Malinga. He shouldn't be thinking he's the man when he has no right to.

 

[Pratters]

Malinga has improved heaps. The injury worry is there as the pressure put because of his bowling action is immense but then Jeff Thompson carried on for quite a while despite a slinging action.

Malinga has a lethal deliveries in his armour which is why he is so bloody good and promising as a player. However, I cannot say for sure that he is a great in the making right now. At the moment, I would put him in the good player with a promising future category and will wait and see how he shapes up.

 

[Athlai]

Most lethal yorker in the game ATM IMO.

Here's how I rank the current nasty fasties.

Bond and Malinga
Akhtar, Asif, Lee, Ntini. Jones(he's a quickee I think)
Tait, Steyn, etc etc

Tait showed a lot of class at the world cup, takes wickets but erratic, definitely up there I think.

Heres test averages and economies for the players you listed:
Bond: 22.10 - 3.40
Malinga: 31.57 - 3.83

Akhtar: 25.30 - 3.39
Asif: 20.12 - 3.09
Lee: 31.60 - 3.56
Ntini: 27.48 - 3.20
Jones: 28.23 - 3.54

Tait: 42.00 - 4.37
Steyn: 31.54 - 3.89


It will be interesting to see how the averages of the younger players develop over the next few years. Tait at 42 will surely have to change!

 

[Athlai]

Malinga has improved heaps. The injury worry is there as the pressure put because of his bowling action is immense but then Jeff Thompson carried on for quite a while despite a slinging action.

Malinga has a lethal deliveries in his armour which is why he is so bloody good and promising as a player. However, I cannot say for sure that he is a great in the making right now. At the moment, I would put him in the good player with a promising future category and will wait and see how he shapes up.

Jeff Thompsons action didn't injure him did it?

 

[Perm]

He is a good young player who will really hold Sri Lanka's bowling attack when Vaas and Muralitharan retire. I wouldn't call him a great in the making though, not consistent enough. I can see him struggling big time against a decent batting line up.

 

[Pratters]

Thommo even weakened his left leg a fair bit even after his career finished. With such an action, you cannot avoid having an impact, even immediate on your body. The point was that Thommo was fairly successful despite his action to take 200 wickets. For some one with a normal action, that might be considered less but for a slinging action, that is a pretty good achievement.

 

[social]

Malinga is a highly talented, uncoached bowler.

Apparently he developed his "style" bowling on the beach.

Every time I see him he improves.

He's young, quick and a wicket-taker

Just because he's unusual doesnt mean he won't have logevity or be great

He needs look no further than Murali for inspiraion

 

[andyc]

Tait showed a lot of class at the world cup, takes wickets but erratic, definitely up there I think.

Heres test averages and economies for the players you listed:
Bond: 22.10 - 3.40
Malinga: 31.57 - 3.83

Akhtar: 25.30 - 3.39
Asif: 20.12 - 3.09
Lee: 31.60 - 3.56
Ntini: 27.48 - 3.20
Jones: 28.23 - 3.54

Tait: 42.00 - 4.37
Steyn: 31.54 - 3.89


It will be interesting to see how the averages of the younger players develop over the next few years. Tait at 42 will surely have to change!

Well Tait has only played the two tests...