Chaminda Vaas

Chaminda Vaas
Personal information
Full name Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Josu Chaminda Vaas
Born 27 January 1974
Mattumagala, Sri Lanka
Nickname Vasy
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Batting style Left-handed
Bowling style Left arm fast
Role Opening Bowler
International information
National side
  • Sri Lanka
Test debut (cap 63) 26 August 1994 v Pakistan
Last Test 20 July 2009 v Pakistan
ODI debut (cap 75) 15 February 1994 v India
Last ODI 27 August 2008 v India
ODI shirt no. 22
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1990/91– Colts Cricket Club
2003 Hampshire
2003/04 Uva
2005 Worcestershire
2007 Middlesex
2007/08-2009/10 Deccan Chargers
2010–2012 Northamptonshire (squad no. 6)
Career statistics
Competition Test ODIs FC LA
Matches 111 322 227 412
Runs scored 3,089 2,025 6,223 3,220
Batting average 24.32 13.68 25.82 16.59
100s/50s 1/13 0/1 4/29 0/8
Top score 100* 50* 134 76*
Balls bowled 23,438 15,775 41,266 19,411
Wickets 355 400 772 506
Bowling average 29.58 27.53 24.64 26.63
5 wickets in innings 12 4 34 4
10 wickets in match 2 n/a 4 n/a
Best bowling 7/71 8/19 7/28 8/19
Catches/stumpings 31/– 60/– 57/– 83/–
Source: CricketArchive, 24 December 2012

Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas[1] (born 27 January 1974), usually known as Chaminda Vaas, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer regarded as the best fast bowler to have come out of the country. He has been described as the 'most penetrative and successful new-ball bowler Sri Lanka have produced'.[2] In 2004 he gained international recognition when he was selected for the World Test and one-day XI at the inaugural ICC Awards. He was once again selected for the World Test XI at the 2005 awards. As of 22 February 2015, only 3 bowlers have taken more ODI wickets than Vaas.[3]

Career highlights

A graduate of the prestigious boy's school in Colombo, St. Joseph's College, Colombo, Vaas made his first class debut for Colts Cricket Club against Galle Cricket Club in December 1990 aged 16. Nearly 4 years later, after just 13 first class matches, he made his Test debut for the Sri Lankan cricket team against Pakistan at Kandy in August 1994. Within his first year in the national side, he made a great impact guiding Sri Lanka to their maiden Test Match away victory against New Zealand at Napier, taking 5–47 & 5–43 and scoring 33 & 36 and being nominated Man of the Match.

He was a regular member of the ODI side during the 1996 World Cup, playing in all six matches including the Final, where Sri Lanka defeated Australia to become world champions for the very first time.

In 2001–02, he took 26 wickets in a series win against the West Indies. This included one match-haul of 14 wickets, a feat only achieved by two fast bowlers in the subcontinent, the other being Imran Khan. At the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, held in South Africa, Vaas picked up 23 wickets, becoming the leading wicket taker in the tournament. This included a best of 6–25 against Bangladesh, where Vaas also took a hat-trick with the first three deliveries of the Bangladesh innings.

He had the rare opportunity to captain Sri Lankan ODI team in 2006, which restricted for only one match.

On 26 June 2007 at Colombo, he made his maiden test century against Bangladesh when he scored 100 not out in a total of 577–6 declared. This occurred in his 97th Test Match, which at the time was a record for the most number of Tests before scoring a maiden century (since overtaken by Anil Kumble). Soon after in November 2007, Vaas played his 100th Test match against England, in what was also Sanath Jayasuriya's final Test match for Sri Lanka.

He retired from Test Cricket after the 3rd Test against Pakistan in July 2009.[4]

Playing style

He is a left arm swing bowler. Vaas used to open the bowling for Sri Lanka and was noted for his in-swinger. He also had a well disguised off cutter and later in his career he added reverse-swing to his armoury, which made him a consistent wicket-taker even on bland subcontinental pitches. Although his pace has dropped over the years, he has masterful control of line and length. Vaas is also a useful batsman down the order, and has reached 3,000 Test runs, including 13 Test half-centuries and a century. Only 11 bowlers in Test history with 200 wickets have scored more runs than Vaas.[5] As a fielder, he is noted for his strong arm. At the start of a new bowling spell, he would tell the umpire: "Left arm fast".

Records

Chaminda Vaas is Sri Lanka's most successful pace bowler, having taken 355 Test wickets, which equalled the number of Test wickets taken by Dennis Lillee, the legendary Australian fast bowler. He led the Sri Lankan new ball attack for many years. He achieved his 300th wicket on 12 December 2005 against India, becoming only the second Sri Lankan bowler to pass this milestone, after Muttiah Muralitharan. He has also taken 400 One Day International wickets, only the second Sri Lankan to do so, also after Muralitharan. As of 22 February 2015 only 3 bowlers have taken more ODI wickets.[3]

On 27 August 2008, Vaas achieved a landmark in his ODI career, when he had Yuvraj Singh caught off his bowling in his very last ODI match against India at Colombo. Yuvraj Singh became his 400th ODI victim and consequently Vaas joined the illustrious company of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and his team mate Muttiah Muralitharan as only the fourth bowler in international cricket to have taken 400 ODI wickets.

Vaas also holds the record for the best bowling figures in one-day international cricket with his 8 for 19 off eight overs against Zimbabwe at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in 2001. Vaas took the first eight wickets of Zimbabwe's then record-lowest ODI innings of 38, with Muralitharan taking the final two wickets in his first over. It remains the only eight-wicket haul in ODI history.

Vaas has taken two ODI hat tricks in his career, the third of only four players to have achieved the feat. The first was taken as part of his 8/19 spell.

English County Cricket

He had joined Middlesex County Cricket Club for the 2007 cricket season as an Overseas registration. In 2008, he signed with the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Deccan Chargers on a contract worth $200,000. He played 4 matches for the Deccan Chargers team and picked 4 wickets at an average of 26.61 with an economy rate of 1.4. In 2009 he played some matches in P.Sen trophy for Mohun Bagan. He also joined Northamptonshire County Cricket Club for the 2010 T20 competition and found himself in the unusual position of opening the batting although he did well recording three half centuries. He subsequently signed a contract to join Northants for the entire 2011 & 2012 seasons. At the end of 2011 he was named their 'Player of the season' following a great allround performance, having topped the bowling averages by taking 70 first class wickets at an average of 21.44 apiece and also scoring 403 runs at an average of 26.9. Vaas was released by Northants at the end of the 2012 season due to persistent injury problems throughout the year.

International Coach

In October 2012 he was contracted to coach the New Zealand fast bowlers during their tour of Sri Lanka, which included two Test matches.[6] In May 2013 he was appointed as bowling coach for the Sri Lankan side participating in the Champions Trophy competition in England.

Chaminda Vass passing on some tips to Dhammika Prasad

Personal life

Vaas is Roman Catholic and is known to pray before every game.[7][8] He intended to become a priest at a young age but believed that God wanted him to play cricket instead: "I seriously considered going into the priesthood, which would have meant 12 to 14 years of study. But then cricket began to take over. I think that God created me as a cricketer, so I am happy that that's my calling.".[9] He suffered some minor injuries during the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team bus by terrorists in Lahore which resulted in the abandonment of that Test series against Pakistan.

According to Bill Frindall, scorer and statistician for BBC Radio's Test Match Special, Chaminda is actually his penultimate given name, therefore his initials should read WPUJC.

Test Centuries

The following table illustrates a summary of Test centuries scored by Chaminda Vaas

Test Centuries of Chaminda Vaas
Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year
[1] 100* 97  Bangladesh Sri Lanka Colombo, Sri Lanka Sinhalese Sports Club Ground 2007

Half Centuries

Test Half Centuries

Test Half Centuries of Chaminda Vaas
Runs Match Against Venue Year
[1] 51 6 New Zealand Dunedin, New Zealand 1994
[2] 57 15 New Zealand Dunedin, New Zealand 1997
[3] 53* 35 Pakistan Rawalpindi, Pakistan 2000
[4] 54 41 South Africa Galle, Sri Lanka 2000
[5] 74* 56 Zimbabwe Colombo, Sri Lanka 2001
[6] 72* 57 Zimbabwe Kandy, Sri Lanka 2002
[7] 68* 73 Australia Kandy, Sri Lanka 2004
[8] 69 79 South Africa Galle, Sri Lanka 2004
[9] 65 88 Bangladesh Colombo, Sri Lanka 2005
[10] 50* 91 England Lord's, England 2006
[11] 64 94 South Africa Colombo, Sri Lanka 2006
[12] 90 102 England Galle, Sri Lanka 2007
[13] 54* 103 West Indies Providence, West Indies 2008

ODI Half Centuries

ODI Half Centuries of Chaminda Vaas
Runs Match Against Venue Year
[1] 50* 157 Pakistan Sharjah, UAE 2001

Career Best Performances

as of 24 December 2012

Batting Bowling
Score Fixture Venue Season BBI* Fixture Venue Season
Tests 100* Sri Lanka v Bangladesh Colombo (SSC) 2007 7–71 Sri Lanka v West Indies Colombo (SSC) 2001
ODI 50* Sri Lanka v Pakistan Sharjah 2001 8–19 Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe Colombo (SSC) 2001
T20I 21 Sri Lanka v Australia Cape Town 2007 2–14 Sri Lanka v Bangladesh Johannesburg 2007
FC 134 Colts v Burgher Colombo (SSC) 2004 7–28 Colts v Colombo Colombo (CCC) 2011
LA 76* Colts v Nondescripts Colombo (SSC) 2009 8–19 Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe Colombo (SSC) 2001
T20 73 Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Durham Dynamos Northampton 2010 3–16 Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Nottinghamshire Outlaws Nottingham 2010

References

  1. ↑ How To Pronounce Chaminda Vaas Full Name
  2. ↑ http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/50804.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283193.html
  4. ↑ "Chaminda Vaas to retire from Tests". Cricinfo. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
  5. ↑ http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statistics/AllRounders/AllRoundersRWC.asp?Stat=2
  6. ↑ http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=156284
  7. ↑ "Catholics pray for Sri Lankan cricketers following attack". Union of Catholic Asian News. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  8. ↑ "Leader of the lefties". BBC Sport. 8 December 2001. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  9. ↑ Thomas Josey (7 July 2009). "600 reasons why batsmen hadn't a prayer against cricket's high priest Chaminda". Sportingo. Retrieved 2009-09-25.

External links