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Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga tossing a cricket ball at practice
Lasith Malinga tossing a cricket ball at practice Image: Wikimedia Commons. paddynapper / CC BY-SA 2.0

Overview

Separamadu Lasith Malinga (born 28 August 1983) is a Sri Lankan former cricketer, widely regarded as one of the greatest limited-overs bowlers of all time. A right-arm fast bowler, he was commonly deployed as a specialist death bowler and captained the Sri Lanka national side to the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 title. Nicknamed "Slinga Malinga" for his distinctive round-arm or "sling" action, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 14 September 2021.

Key Facts

Full name Separamadu Lasith Malinga
Date of birth 28 August 1983
Nationality Sri Lankan
Role Right-arm fast bowler (death-bowling specialist)
Bowling action Round-arm / "sling" action
Nickname Slinga Malinga
Captaincy honour 2014 ICC World Twenty20 winner (Sri Lanka)
Test retirement 22 April 2011
ODI retirement 26 July 2019
T20 franchise retirement January 2021
Final retirement 14 September 2021

Background and Style

Malinga's unorthodox round-arm delivery, combined with dipping slower-ball yorkers and accurate in-swinging yorkers, made him one of the most distinctive bowlers in modern cricket. He is credited with reshaping the dynamics and landscape of death bowling in limited-overs cricket through his technique and approach, particularly his ability to take wickets on consecutive balls.

Career Highlights and Records

  • Only bowler to take two hat-tricks at ICC Cricket World Cup tournaments.
  • First bowler to take a double hat-trick (four wickets in four balls) in international cricket.
  • Only bowler to take four wickets in four balls twice in international cricket.
  • Only bowler to have taken three hat-tricks in One Day Internationals.
  • Only bowler to have two double hat-tricks.
  • First bowler to take five hat-tricks across all formats of international cricket.
  • Holds the record for the most hat-tricks in international cricket.
  • First bowler to take 100 wickets in Twenty20 International cricket, achieved during the series against New Zealand in September 2019.
  • First bowler to claim two T20I hat-tricks; the second bowler in T20I history to take four wickets in four consecutive balls, after Rashid Khan.
  • Captained Sri Lanka to victory at the 2014 ICC World Twenty20.
  • Named the official event ambassador for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 hosted in Sri Lanka.

Career Timeline

  • 22 April 2011 – Announced retirement from Test cricket.
  • 2012 – Named official event ambassador for the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
  • 2014 – Captained Sri Lanka to the ICC World Twenty20 title.
  • 26 July 2019 – Retired from One Day Internationals after the first ODI against Bangladesh.
  • September 2019 – Became the first bowler to take 100 T20I wickets, with a hat-trick and four wickets in four balls against New Zealand.
  • January 2021 – Retired from T20 franchise cricket.
  • 14 September 2021 – Announced retirement from all forms of cricket.

Significance

Malinga's career marked a turning point in how fast bowlers approached the final overs of limited-overs matches. His mastery of the yorker at the death, combined with an unorthodox low-arm action, influenced a generation of bowlers in international and franchise cricket. His captaincy of Sri Lanka's 2014 World Twenty20-winning side and his collection of hat-tricks across formats place him among the most decorated white-ball bowlers in the history of the sport.

References