Pocket rocket coming India’s way

Perhaps, this cult image is because cricket is the one sport on the island that gives the masses a chance to identify with the good guys and not the tawdry administrators or politicians. As with Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya and those ‘brothers in arms’ Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, whatever they wear, they say is recorded, dissected and fed to the public. Little wonder then that schoolgirls go wobbly at the knees as Malinga waves to them from the team bus as it passes Ladies College, to and from the practice.

Yet, when it comes down to genuine comparisons, Malinga says he has a lot to learn and the left-arm swing and seam of Vaas imparts the sort of inspiration he needs to become a better all-round bowler. Learning to be more deceptive is an on-going lesson in the nets. ‘‘I love bowling fast,’’ he grins. ‘‘But also, I am not worried at this stage about the length of my career, or my run-up for that matter. I am more concerned about the next game I get to play,’’ says Malinga, 37 days short of his 23rd birthday.

It may be a strange philosophy for some, but to Malinga, despite his fancy hairstyle, it is about not thinking too far ahead. He was in New Zealand with the Sri Lanka side when the tsunami wrecked some of his village on the south coast. For him, December 26, 2004 was a lesson in living for each day.

India’s last sight of Malinga was at Motera in Ahmedabad where last December he ran in and bowled and bowled and bowled. He has moved on from that near one-dimensional effort. Since then there have been tours of New Zealand, Australia and England and each game added to his learning curve to the extent that he learnt a lot about bowling at the back end of an innings in a limited overs scenario. ‘‘At some stage it sinks in that you can bowl different pace and vary the yorker as well,’’ he says. ‘‘You watch and learn and listen as well and take it all in.’’

Malinga dreamed of playing cricket—club, even premier league—but not at international level. After all, he wanted to be a tennis player. As would happen, he was drafted into an under-16 team as a replacement—till then, cricket had meant beach fun with his friends and tennis ball.

Imagine then what it was like—a leather ball pushed into his hand for the first time and told ‘‘to get on with it’’ without being taught how to hold the ball, or where to point the seam. Yet, sheer pace and his action saw him take 14 wickets in his first go. One year later he was playing for a Sri Lanka President’s XI against Kenya A, going on to break the finger of the opposing team’s captain. And two years ago, he made his ODI debut in the Asia Cup.

Today, Malinga is just happy to be part of the team, helping it to win matches, taking wickets and having the batsmen ducking and diving. And unlike the Caribbean speedster Fidel Edwards, who has a similar slingshot catapult action, there are no pretensions, no predictions of joining Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee in the 100 mph club. ‘‘I am still making my way as an international player,’’ is the modest response. ‘‘Sure I like to bowl fast. But I’m not looking to join any particular special speed gun club. Just take wickets and help the side win matches. That’s my job. It’s what I like doing.’’

Malinga’s 20 ODI wickets in 14 matches at 28.65, with a strike rate of 4.74 may not be that impressive. But his 13 wickets in the recent NatWest Series against England showed that at least he has advanced a lot further than even his growing cult image.