Learning from Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga has been far and away the best bowler in the 2011 IPL and while his action may not lend itself to imitation, there are still lessons to be learned from his methods, writes Indranil Basu in the Times of India .
Tariq Engineer
25-Feb-2013
Lasith Malinga has been far and away the best bowler in the 2011 IPL and while his action may not lend itself to imitation, there are still lessons to be learned from his methods, writes Indranil Basu in the Times of India.
For one, Malinga is adept at not pitching the ball in a good length area, which is between four to six metres from the stumps. His preferred length is between six to eight metres, and by mixing his deliveries, he ensures that none of the batsmen are able to read him easily.
By the time you have read Malinga, an over is already up. Then there are the variations. If a batsman is expecting Malinga to bowl one of the deadly yorkers, there could be a bouncer - either fastish or a markedly slower one - in store.
Tariq Engineer is a former senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo