Former fast bowling great Chaminda Vaas hit out at the national cricket team’s fast bowlers after Sri Lanka’s meek surrender in the current five-match ODI series to Pakistan. The Sri Lankans lost the series with a game to spare and now run the risk of going down 4-1.
Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal and Thisara Perera were all disappointing during the series. Malinga was well below par and conceded 80 runs in the third ODI that Sri Lanka lost by 135 runs while Thisara Perera was dropped after the third ODI.
“Our fast bowlers are currently overweight. They need to train hard and make sure they emphasize on fitness,” Vaas, who was the Fast Bowling Coach of the national team until the World Cup, told ‘The Island’ yesterday.
“When you are in your 20s, you can perhaps neglect your fitness, but once you turn 30, you need to be supremely fit, otherwise you will be exposed,” Vaas further said.
Easily the best fast bowler produced by the country, there was quite a bit of optimism when Vaas took over as Fast Bowling Coach. His stay with the national team towards the end turned bitter after SLC hired a consultant Fast Bowling Coaching ahead of him for the World Cup.
On return home from the World Cup, Vaas was relieved of national team duty and was told to be based at R. Premadasa Stadium from where the coaches of SLC operate. Vaas declined the offer. “There are certain players who don’t allow coaches to do their job. They manipulate things and take up matters with higher authorities. If you insist on things like fitness and hard work you will end up losing your job,” Vaas added.
Soon after quitting SLC, Vaas travelled to Australia to follow further studies on coaching and returned home on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s fast bowlers easily outsmarted their Sri Lankan counterparts during the ODI series and Vaas urged local bowlers to stick to basics. “Our fast bowlers have so many theories, but they lack practical knowledge. Theories vary from player to player and all the players can’t practise the same theory,” he added.
