[caption id="attachment_198963" align="alignleft" width="358"]
The young left-handed batter ‘Vaasy’[/caption]
Interviewed by Asela Withana
Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas, 48 now, is often described as the greatest fast-bowler Sri Lanka has produced in her Test era.
Vaas’ rhythmic style, his accurate line-and-length bowling, and his capability to swing the ball made him one of the best in the world during the 15 years (1994-2009) that he represented Sri Lanka.
He was also an integral part of a resurgent Sri Lanka side, under Arjuna Ranatunga, that won a World Cup in 1996 and marked a remarkable ascendancy on world stage in the subsequent years.
Vaas still holds the record for the best bowling figures in One-Day International (ODI) history (8/19) whilst becoming the youngest to reach the 300-wickets milestone in that format.
In this candid and nostalgic interview, ‘Vaasy’ reflects on his international debut as a 20-year-old and the heroics - ten wickets in a match - that led Sri Lanka to win her first cricket Test abroad after 13 years, in New Zealand.
The story goes on explaining how the Kiwi fast-bowler Danny Morrison threatened to kill him in that match and how the confrontation ended with Danny being sent out of the series with a fractured arm!
Excerpts of the interview with Vaas follow:
On his debut match for Sri Lanka in 1994 in Rajkot
[caption id="attachment_198964" align="alignleft" width="549"]
The 20-year-old Chaminda Vaas bowls to Navjot Sidhu in the former’s debut match for Sri Lanka: That was in the first ODI on 15 February 1994 in Rajkot, India. Sidhu made 108 before becoming Vaas’ only victim of the match and India under Mohammed Azharuddin won by eight runs[/caption]
I was first called for Sri Lanka duty when a regular fast-bowler of the time, Dulip Liyanage, got injured. That was for an ODI series in India in 1994. I was not in the initial squad before he had got injured. Later, I was named for the first ODI in Rajkot.
I was so nervous. There were about 75,000 spectators who had come to watch the match. Arjuna, Aravinda (de Silva), and Roshan (Mahanama) came and told me, “malli (younger brother) don’t be afraid. You just play in your own rhythm”.
Such a massive crowd making a huge noise, I had never got such an experience before. But once I bowled my first delivery, the pressure went away. I took one wicket (that of Navjot Sidhu) in that match for 40 runs in eight overs.
After making his Test debut in August the same year in Kandy against Pakistan, the defining moment in Vaas’ career came in March 1995 in Napier, New Zealand, only in his fifth Test.
After I went to bat in that match (as the No. 8), Danny Morrison sent down two back-to-back bouncers to me. After doing so, he came near me on mid pitch and said, “I will kill you today”. I just laughed.
Then he came nearer and said, “I will hit on your head in the next ball. I will definitely kill you”.
I told him, “Do it if you can. I will do the same thing to you when you come to bat next time”.
(Set a massive target of 427 to win on the fourth-day’s play, New Zealand were bowled out for 185 the fifth and final day of the match. Sri Lanka won by 241 runs recording their first Test victory away from home. That was 13 years after playing their inaugural Test in 1982. Vaas became the Man of the Match for his 5/47 and 5/43 as well as his 33 not out and 36 with the bat, in the two innings respectively.)
[caption id="attachment_198965" align="alignleft" width="455"]
Danny Morrison bowls against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham in May 1994. Photo by David Munden[/caption]
In the second innings, Morrison came to bat at No. 10. I was bowling then. I sent the very first ball to his left arm and it him. He was in a lot of pain. He got out for a duck (0) of my bowling.
Later we got the news that he had had a fracture in his arm and had been taken off from the entire series. It was a two-match series. We drew the next match (in Dunedin) and went on to win the series as well.
(Vaas showed his class in that match too, scoring 51 whilst taking 6/87.)
The part-II of this interview will be published next week. Our special thanks go to srilankantimes
The young left-handed batter ‘Vaasy’[/caption]
Interviewed by Asela Withana
Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas, 48 now, is often described as the greatest fast-bowler Sri Lanka has produced in her Test era.
Vaas’ rhythmic style, his accurate line-and-length bowling, and his capability to swing the ball made him one of the best in the world during the 15 years (1994-2009) that he represented Sri Lanka.
He was also an integral part of a resurgent Sri Lanka side, under Arjuna Ranatunga, that won a World Cup in 1996 and marked a remarkable ascendancy on world stage in the subsequent years.
Vaas still holds the record for the best bowling figures in One-Day International (ODI) history (8/19) whilst becoming the youngest to reach the 300-wickets milestone in that format.
In this candid and nostalgic interview, ‘Vaasy’ reflects on his international debut as a 20-year-old and the heroics - ten wickets in a match - that led Sri Lanka to win her first cricket Test abroad after 13 years, in New Zealand.
The story goes on explaining how the Kiwi fast-bowler Danny Morrison threatened to kill him in that match and how the confrontation ended with Danny being sent out of the series with a fractured arm!
Excerpts of the interview with Vaas follow:
On his debut match for Sri Lanka in 1994 in Rajkot
[caption id="attachment_198964" align="alignleft" width="549"] The 20-year-old Chaminda Vaas bowls to Navjot Sidhu in the former’s debut match for Sri Lanka: That was in the first ODI on 15 February 1994 in Rajkot, India. Sidhu made 108 before becoming Vaas’ only victim of the match and India under Mohammed Azharuddin won by eight runs[/caption]
I was first called for Sri Lanka duty when a regular fast-bowler of the time, Dulip Liyanage, got injured. That was for an ODI series in India in 1994. I was not in the initial squad before he had got injured. Later, I was named for the first ODI in Rajkot.
I was so nervous. There were about 75,000 spectators who had come to watch the match. Arjuna, Aravinda (de Silva), and Roshan (Mahanama) came and told me, “malli (younger brother) don’t be afraid. You just play in your own rhythm”.
Such a massive crowd making a huge noise, I had never got such an experience before. But once I bowled my first delivery, the pressure went away. I took one wicket (that of Navjot Sidhu) in that match for 40 runs in eight overs.
After making his Test debut in August the same year in Kandy against Pakistan, the defining moment in Vaas’ career came in March 1995 in Napier, New Zealand, only in his fifth Test.
After I went to bat in that match (as the No. 8), Danny Morrison sent down two back-to-back bouncers to me. After doing so, he came near me on mid pitch and said, “I will kill you today”. I just laughed.
Then he came nearer and said, “I will hit on your head in the next ball. I will definitely kill you”.
I told him, “Do it if you can. I will do the same thing to you when you come to bat next time”.
(Set a massive target of 427 to win on the fourth-day’s play, New Zealand were bowled out for 185 the fifth and final day of the match. Sri Lanka won by 241 runs recording their first Test victory away from home. That was 13 years after playing their inaugural Test in 1982. Vaas became the Man of the Match for his 5/47 and 5/43 as well as his 33 not out and 36 with the bat, in the two innings respectively.)
[caption id="attachment_198965" align="alignleft" width="455"] Danny Morrison bowls against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham in May 1994. Photo by David Munden[/caption]
In the second innings, Morrison came to bat at No. 10. I was bowling then. I sent the very first ball to his left arm and it him. He was in a lot of pain. He got out for a duck (0) of my bowling.
Later we got the news that he had had a fracture in his arm and had been taken off from the entire series. It was a two-match series. We drew the next match (in Dunedin) and went on to win the series as well.
(Vaas showed his class in that match too, scoring 51 whilst taking 6/87.)
The part-II of this interview will be published next week. Our special thanks go to srilankantimes