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Malinga - the 'pocket rocket'
Champaka Ramanayake is elated about this deceptive, destructive Sri Lankan discovery who has hallmarks of Jeff Thomson in his bizarre round-arm action
By Pelham Juriansz
Fast bowlers come in all shapes and sizes. Lasith Malinga, the latest on the circuit is not one of the taller men but he is a strong lad who has a lot of potential. Bowling with a slinging action similar to Australian Jeff Thompson, but with a more square- armish delivery, he gets a lot of leverage from his arm, with a speed of around 140-145 km an hour, as compared to 'Thomo's 160 kmph.

He is by far the fastest bowler in the country and has proved his worth in Darwin, Australia by capturing six wickets on debut. Something that his coach and the person who first "discovered" him at the young age of 16 is very proud of. According to the dusky fast bowling coach of the Cricket Academy run by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, Champaka Ramanayake, who himself was a bowler of immense reputation having played in 18 tests and 62 one day internationals and standing at 6 ft 1 inches, the former speedster was elated at the performance of his charge and "find" Lasith Malinga.

Lasith Malinga, the "wonder boy" of Sri Lankan cricket, was 'discovered" by Ramanayake three and a half to four years ago when Malinga was just 16 years of age and playing for Mahinda College, Galle first eleven and Ramanayake was coaching Galle CC. He then put him into the Galle CC squad. "Against CCC, playing for Galle at the age of 17 plus he bowled really fast and the ball used to go fly over the 'keeper's head, he was that fast at that young age. I never changed his action. Unfortunately he could not go for the under 19 World Cup at the time, even though he had run through a number of top sides."

According to Ramanayake the coastal belt is the best for producing fast "men" and 99% of them come from the coastal belt stretching from Negombo to Galle. Ramanayake went on to explain that Malinga is a bright prospect indeed but he needs to be nurtured and looked after. Too often fast bowlers fall by the wayside due to injury. "A good calcium intake is vital for building strong healthy bones. Because most of the fast bowlers are from the coastal belt and they take a sufficient intake of fish and dried fish, swim regularly in the sea and run on the beach they develop strong muscles.

Malinga should be used in short bursts of approximately 4 overs in a spell because if he is used for about 7 overs in a spell he might burn out. In a team where there are three fast bowlers he need not be the workhorse of the team. Malinga will expend his energy if used for long periods. He bowls with a catapult like effect when he releases the ball, and he gets a lot of purchase from that slinging action but he needs to develop on his accuracy" said Ramanayake.

"When I first found him he was very thin and I had to get him to develop his muscles" said Ramanayake. "He had to do weight training and now in this test he has picked up six wickets on debut thereby proving his fitness and strength. Hitherto Dilhara was the fastest in Sri Lanka and now Malinga has taken over as the fastest and surprised the best batsmen in the world (We have to note that Ricky Ponting did not play in this Test).

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