It just takes one ball to take a wicket - Malinga
Lasith Malinga answers readers' questions about the IPL, his injury, and his most memorable performances
Cricinfo staff
28-Apr-2009
Lasith Malinga: "Now I am enjoying every minute of it" • Getty Images
From: Chathuranga De Silva
How does it feel to bowl on fast wickets in South Africa again after a long break?
Are you enjoying your IPL this time around?
Missing the IPL last year was a big blow. In fact the whole of last year was frustrating because of my knee injury. So now I am enjoying every minute of it. Things started well for me in Cape Town and I hope I can continue that form for the rest of the IPL and into the ICC World Twenty20 if I am selected.
From: Budhdhika Pathirana
I am finding it hard to control the new ball and I tend to bowl a lot of wides. This is a big problem for me and my coach has also warned me to correct it if I plan on going a long way. Please is there any advice you can give me?
The new ball can be difficult to control for some bowlers so don't worry too much. Remember that everyone will forget the odd wide if you take wickets. So don't hold back in an effort to be more accurate. That can sometimes lead to you being even more wayward because you don't complete your action. Be positive and look for wickets. Technically, the most important things are that your head is level and balanced and your eyes are focused on one spot - where you want to pitch, the top of off stump are the two most common targets. Then your front arm is vital. It should go up high and come down straight. If it pulls to one side then you will be wayward. Good luck.
From: Ravindu Samarasinghe
Who is the toughest batsman to bowl to in your opinion?
Lots of batsmen can be tough when they get in, especially guys like Adam Gilchrist or Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar. But I try to focus on what I can do. It just takes one ball to take a wicket.
From: Fazlee Ibrahim
You and Kumar Sangakkara play for the same club (NCC) are you excited about him being the new Sri Lanka Captain? Do you think he will be as good as Mahela Jayawardene?
Yes, I am sure he will be a good captain. He is a clever cricketer and did a great job as vice-captain.
From: Ritnika Muhanthi
Hi Lasith, why did you cut your long hair? I liked it better that way
I felt like a change
From: Raghu Ramanadhan
Please tell us what exactly your injury was? A lot of people said a lot of things; we even heard that you had a dispute with the former chief Arjuna Ranatunga. Is this true?
I had a problem with a bone in my knee. It is an impact injury from overuse and basically the bone around the knee cap was fracturing. It is apparently a common injury in sports like Australian Rules and the main thing is that you need to rest. I first had the injury during the Australia tour in February 2008 and did not start bowling properly for about 10 months. It was very frustrating. I don't have any issues with Arjuna, but I was obviously disappointed last year when I was not given an SLC central contract after a very good year in 2007/8. I felt a bit let down but thankfully that is all in the past.
From: Buwaneka Deshappriya
What was it like playing the T20 against India after a long break? Did you enjoy bowling?
I was very excited to be playing for Sri Lanka again. It was disappointing to lose though and I was not bowling at my best. I am bowling much better now.
From: Milroy Peiris
Who are your mentors in Cricket? Who was the person who first spotted you and bought you to Colombo?
Champika Ramanayake was the one that got me playing first-class cricket. He spotted me playing down in Galle. I always admired Waqar Younis for his Yorkers.
From: Manjula Dabare
What is your most memorable Test and ODI performance to date?
My most memorable ODI was the match in West Indies during the World Cup when I took four wickets in an over against South Africa. In Tests my debut in Australia will always be a highlight when I took the wickets of Darren Lehmann and Adam Gilchrist