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Plenty of other people may be talking up Lasith Malinga’s chances of playing in the second Test against England here at Edgbaston but the man with the distinctive slingshot action believes he has no chance of being included.

Sri Lanka’s attack managed just six wickets in the first Test at Lord’s — and five of those were shared between key off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and experienced left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas — as England piled up 551 for six declared in the drawn series opener.

That led to suggestions that the 22-year-old Malinga, who has taken 54 wickets in 15 Tests at a respectable 29.48, might be called up at Edgbaston.

But when asked by reporters at the ground on Tuesday what his chances of playing were he replied: “No. The last Test match all our players did very good jobs, both batsmen and bowlers but unfortunately the wickets didn’t come.”

Malinga’s unusually low-arm action so disconcerted New Zealand batsmen during a recent Test series they asked the umpires to change their trousers and remove their ties as they were having trouble seeing the ball.

“If the New Zealand batsmen are not comfortable then whatever,” said Malinga. “I always try to take wickets, not contain. I like to unsettle the batsman with bouncers, yorkers and change of pace. I think batsmen struggle with my action, it’s difficult to pick and it unsettles them.”

Source:The News

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