Malinga happy but not excited about feat
By Edison Jefford
Stabroek News
March 29, 2007
Sri Lankan right-arm fast bowler Separamadu Lasith Malinga overcame a man- of-the -match controversy yesterday to declare to the local and international media that he was happy with his record-breaking feat at the post-match press conference at the Providence stadium.
Malinga was earlier the centre of a man- of-the- match mix-up after it was declared that South African medium pacer, Charl Langeveldt had won the award.
An International Cricket Council (ICC) spokesman, Sami Hassan told Stabroek Sport after Malinga's post-match media briefing that the winner of the man-of- the-match award was not communicated properly which caused the mix-up.
"The award was a joint man-of-the-match award that was not communicated properly," Sami said, while declaring that both Malinga and Langeveldt will share the honour after both bowlers thought that they had won it individually.
Langeveldt subsequently did not attend the post match briefing. The right arm bowler took 5 -39 off 10 overs against Sri Lanka while Malinga blasted away South Africa's tail taking four wickets in four balls.
Malinga, who has a slinging action, told the media that he was happy to be part of the historic feat at the World Cup's inauguration of the Providence Stadium but was not excited because it did not help Sri Lanka win the match.
"I took four wickets in four balls but we needed one wicket to win the game. I am always playing my game I am not excited, I play my natural game. But despite the fact that I am not excited I am very happy and we could have preferably won the game," he said with mixed emotions.
Malinga said that he could have bowled a better first spell; he was not happy with his first spell but was overjoyed when he found out that he was the first bowler to complete such a feat in a World Cup match.
"I am happy about my performance but unfortunately my team lost the game. My first spell was no good but my last spellā€¦I took the wickets but not to win the game," the bowler said in halting English.
Malinga's captain Mahela Jayawardene said he believed that Malinga was a 'handful' for the middle and lower order batsmen.
Asked what he told Malinga that so inspired him to that whirlwind last spell Jayawardene said that he made it clear to the bowler that he represented the team's only chance in the match.
"I told him that we never had a chance in this game, he created everything so just go out there and enjoy those last two overs. I could not have asked for anything else, he is the one who actually turned things around," Jayawardene recalled.
South African captain Graeme Smith also praised the young fast bowler when he said that credit must be placed where it was due. "Good fast bowling is good fast bowling," he said.
"You got to give Malinga some credit, he is a good bowler. The ball was reverse swinging. He bowled two good slow balls to guys that had just gone to the crease. I think you got to give credit to the man. It was a superb spell of fast bowling," Smith told the media.
Malinga will remember Guyana for a long time as the place where he produced an almost match winning spell of fast bowling which had `every man jack' on their feet yesterday at the Super Eight contest at the Providence Stadium.