Lasith Malinga named Sri Lanka's bowling strategy coach: Details here
Former captain and pacer Lasith Malinga has been appointed as Sri Lanka's bowling consultant for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia, starting June 7. The limited-overs series will comprise three T20Is and five ODIs. Malinga, 38, was roped in for a similar position in SL's tour of Australia at the start of this year. Here are more details
A look at Malinga's international career
In a long-standing career that spanned almost 16 years, Malinga registered exceptional numbers. Having represented Sri Lanka in 226 ODIs, he snapped up 338 wickets at an average of 28.87. The incredible tally includes 8 five-wicket hauls and 11 four-fors. Malinga also holds 107 T20I and 101 Test wickets to his name at 20.79 and 33.15 respectively.
Why does this story matter?
Malinga is one of the greats in white-ball cricket. The 2014 T20 World Cup-winning captain holds plenty of records to his name, including a rare double-hat-trick in a T20I match against NZ. Having excelled at the international arena and in a tournament as intense as IPL, Malinga's experience could prove beneficial for the Lankans. It is a welcoming move by Sri Lankan cricket.
Here's what SLC said on Malinga's new role
"Sri Lanka Cricket is confident that Malinga's vast experience and renowned death-bowling expertise, especially in the T20 format, will help the team immensely going into this all-important series," read a statement from SLC.
Sri Lanka haven't fared well against Australia
In T20Is, Sri Lanka have lost nine of the last 10 matches against the Aussies. They suffered a 4-1 defeat in Australia earlier this year, however, their bowlers fared well in those conditions. Overall, SL have a 9-13 win-loss record versus Australia in this format.
Malinga was named RR's fast-bowling coach for IPL 2022
Malinga was roped in by Rajasthan Royals as their fast-bowling coach for the 2022 edition of the tournament. RR concluded the league stage at the second spot and eventually wound up as the runner-up to Gujarat Titans. Notably, it was only their second final appearance in IPL. The likes of Obed McCoy, Prasidh Krishna, and Trent Boult had their share of noteworthy performances throughout.
Malinga served as Mumbai Indians' bowling mentor
Malinga, who played the entirety of his IPL career with Mumbai Indians, had served as their bowling mentor in 2018. Later, he was picked by the IPL giants in the 2019 auctions. The move bore fruits as the SL quick used all his experience in the final, powering MI to their fourth title versus CSK. He pocketed 170 scalps in 122 matches at 19.79.
