The batsmen around the world would have heaved a sigh of relief when legendary Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga quit Tests and recently, ODIs. His pinpoint yorkers with that iconic slinging action can put the best of the batters to shame.
The 'slinger' continues to ply his trade in T20Is, but there are only four overs to endure. Or so you think. Ask the New Zealand batsmen!
ALSO READ: Lasith Malinga: Smiling Assassin 2.0
But if the batsmen thought the Malinga era was drawing to a close, think again. A video has surfaced on Twitter, showing a teenager doing a Malinga in a domestic match. Cricket writer Nibraz Ramzan shared the video on the social media platform, where a 17-year-old Matheesha Pathirana is seen foxing the batsmen with his Malinga-like action and variations.
Ramzan writes that Pathirana went on to take six wickets for just seven runs. All this in his debut match for Trinity College in Kandy! The video has went viral since.
Trinity College Kandy produces another Slinga !!
— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) September 26, 2019
17 Year old Matheesha Pathirana took 6 wickets for 7 Runs on his debut game for Trinity !! #lka pic.twitter.com/q5hrI0Gl68
Malinga had inspired a whole generation with his flamboyant looks and unique action, and Pathirana seems to be following in his footsteps as far as bowling is concerned.
In 30 Tests, Malinga took 101 wickets. It was the shorter format of the game where he flourished. The veteran pacer took 338 wickets in 226 ODIs at 28.87 with his deceptive and accurate bowling. Only Muralitharan (523) and Vaas (399) have taken more wickets than Malinga in ODIs among Lankan bowlers. He is the first to take two World Cup hat-tricks and the first to take three ODI hat-tricks.
In fact, between 2006 and 2013, no other bowler took more wickets than Malinga, who scalped 267 wickets, despite missing 15 months of action between March 2008 and June 2009 because of a knee injury.
