T20 cricket’s most destructive fast bowler Malinga calls time

Lasith Malinga makes his final appearance in ODI cricket against Bangladesh at the R. Premadasa Stadium on 26 July 2019

One of the most destructive bowlers in T20I cricket Lasith Malinga has finally announced that he is retiring from all forms of the game.

Malinga tweeted: “Hanging up my #T20 shoes and #retiring from all forms of cricket! Thankful to all those who supported me in my journey, and looking forward to sharing my experience with young cricketers in the years to come.”

Malinga has in recent times been talking to young Sri Lanka cricketers like Dushmantha Chameera and analysing Sri Lanka’s white-ball performances against South Africa in his new YouTube channel.

Since playing his last international game for Sri Lanka on 6 March 2020, Malinga had kept his fans and the entire cricket world in suspense about his retirement giving hopes that he might still make a comeback. However, with the advent of COVID-19 and Sri Lanka Cricket making the two-kilometre run fitness test mandatory for national selection, the 38-year-old Malinga found the requirements were simply too much to undertake.

Malinga made his international debut in Test cricket before moving onto playing ODIs and then became one of the most lethal and skilful T20 bowlers in the world with his slow full tosses, deadly yorkers and reverse swing – all unplayable deliveries, which some of the top batters in the world have found difficult to negotiate. He was an integral part of the Sri Lanka T20I team at the turn of the last decade.

Nicknamed the ‘Slinga’ for his slinging action, Malinga leaves behind some lovely memories. His four wickets off four balls against South Africa in the World Cup match at Guyana in 2007, him leading Sri Lanka to win the 2014 T20 World Cup, and the incredible last over to win the 2019 IPL for Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings. He is also the only bowler to perform the hat-trick thrice in ODIs and twice in T20Is and to take four wickets off four balls in both ODI and T20I formats.

Malinga ends his career as the leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals as well as in IPL. In T20Is, he finished with 107 wickets from 84 matches (ec/rt. 7.42) and in IPL with 170 wickets from 122 matches (ec/rt 7.14) for Mumbai Indians. He also took 101 Test wickets and 338 ODI wickets.

With his blond-tipped curls, pierced eye-brows and unique round arm action, Malinga was a pin-up hero for many of his followers. From crushing batsmen’s toes to being lifted high on shoulders, he has achieved everything any player could dream of in the shortest format. Thank you for the happy memories. – (ST)