100 and Out ?
Written by: Damith Samarakoon
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
Loading ...Chaminda Vaas has been Sri Lankas bowling spearhead for as long as anyone can remember.He is easily the best fast bowler the country has produced, 320 test wickets at 29 and 387 ODI wickets at 26(wow) is a proof enough. Vaas joined the national team in 1994 and made an immediate impact, in only his 5th test match he got a return of 10-90 against NZ and was the chief architect in Sri Lankas first overseas test win.
Since then Vaas has stacked up some staggering records next to his name
- -In 2001-02 he took 26 wickets in a 3-0 rout of West Indies, becoming only the second fast bowler, after Imran Khan, to take 14 wickets in a match in the subcontinent.*-He went on to take the first-ever ODI eight-for, against Zimbabwe,which included a hat-trick.*
-He also claimed a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup.*
But time as it seems time waits for no one, and it seems almost inevitable that the tight grip Vaas had in his bowling and his potency would slowly disintegrate.
Since 1st Aug 2005 he has not taken a 5fer. His best match figures have been 5/82. His average has shot up to 35 from his usual 28-29s. And the most telling figure is that his strike rate has taken a quantum leap to 71.6.
In 2006 he averaged a disappointing 45 with 12 wickets in 6 tests with an alarmingly high strike rate of 91.
Is Vass on his way out ?
Currently in 2007 he averages his normal 29 but as always the stats dont tell the whole story because 6 of the 7 wickets he has taken this year in the 3 matches he has played have been against Bangladesh,wickets may still be wickets but Bangladesh,with all due respect to them, are not the toughest opponents going around.
In the recent tour to Australia it was revealed that it was toss up between Vaas and Malinga on who would play in the first test. Vaas got the nod, probably due to seniority, and was eventually dumped for the 2nd test.
Incidentally it would have been his 100th test had he played.
Dropping Vaas would have been unheard of a few years earlier, indeed it would have been a criminal offense to even suggest it.
But with the emergence of Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Farfeez Maharoof and others it seems Vaas’s role is under-threat. The ever-realiable mans bowling is not what it used to be and his pace has dropped too much to be of any threat. With the reduction in pace his most dangerous weapon, the ability to swing the ball both ways, is nullified because the batsmen has that extra bit of time to adjust.
Is it the end of the road for the legendary warrior?
With Sanath Jayasuriya retiring soon from test cricket, Vaas might be entertaining similar thoughts. His next test will be his 100th and although he has expressed his desire to continue on for a few more years and possibly till the 2011 WC, he will need to prove to the selectors and, more importantly, to himself that he can still contribute to the teams fortunes and lead the young attack to a higher level before he hangs up his boots.
With England struggling against a decent Board XIs pace attack, Vaas must look to the test series as a prime opportunity to notch up that 5fer that has eluded him for so long. But if he were to struggle against the poms and have a lackluster performance it might well be time to start thinking about retiring and giving a youngster the chance.
*All stats and data gathered from Cricinfo.
Comments
4 Responses to “100 and Out ?”
Leave a Reply
Nice one Damith.
I have something to add to this. Another reason for Vaasy’s performance drop is our pitches have been really bad in the last few years. Nothing for the fast bowlers, and with the heat here in SL, even in the morning the swing is not much to talk about. I think our curators should think about this a bit…
Good point there Captain Juan (lol). Yes SL pitches are pretty flat these days. No wonder we dont have many quicks coming up.
To all the “super” stupid Sri Lankans who thought Vaas’s bowling had deteriorated to the extent that it was justified to have hime dropped for the 2nd test against the mighty Aussie’s in 2008 on the Australian tour. Vaas was never a bowler, he should never be thought of as a bowler nor an allrounder. Vaas is just simply a very good desciplined cricket player, a rare thing in Sri Lankan cricket. Judging from Vass’s past perfomances, Vaas shoulb be allowed to play his own game. His approach should not be questioned.
More on Vaas, … Vaas is just simply a very good disciplined cricket player, a rare thing in Sri Lankan cricket. Judging from Vass’s past performances, Vaas should be allowed to play his own game. His approach should not be questioned. Anil Kumble is not India’s star batsman, but he is India’s Captain, a much disciplined player. Sri Lankan should think of Vaas as another Anil Kumble, better late than never.