Sri Lanka board to ask Malinga to return from IPL - Malinga quits Test cricket

[debachat]

Sri Lanka Cricket will ask fast bowler Lasith Malinga to return from the IPL and undergo a rehabilitation programme after he made himself unavailable for the upcoming Test series in England. Malinga had stated that he is suffering from an injury, but continues to play for Mumbai Indians in the Twenty20 tournament. Malinga did not figure in the Sri Lanka squad of 16 players named for the three-Test series against England starting on May 26 in Cardiff. "It looks a bit awkward when someone says he is injured and continues to play cricket," Sri Lanka's new chairman of selectors Duleep Mendis said. "That is the reason why we have decided to write to Malinga and ask him to return home and undergo a rehabilitation programme. http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-sri-lanka-2011/content/current/story/512051.html Lets see how this pans out. Wonder what is bothering the SLCB - it cant just be the welfare of the national team...

[Cricket Tragic]

Time for Ambani to send them some cash.

[ganeshran]

He has played 2 tests in the last 3 years and they are debating about his fitness in tests now? :hmmmm2:

[Karan114]

Yeah, Mendis, I'm sure this has everything to do about sudden concern about the Test prospects of a player who ceased to be a Test regular ages ago and absolutely nothing to do with your politicians having to, shock, horror, sit with thousands of others to watch the World Cup final...

[WC2011INDIA]

Dilip Mendis is a jackass. I remember on IBN7 post world cup final analysis, the host of the show asked him several questions and he would give just 1 answer "Sri Lanka didn't field well. India did." You could see the frustration on his face.

[anotherhawkeye]

Wow, they really don't want any sri lankan players to contribute to IPL. Really, wow. They don't want their players to earn some side money.

[ganeshran]

BCCI cannot force any board to reschedule its calendar or allow its players to participate in the IPL. However any board which gives a commitment must follow through on that because the decisions of the franchisees are based on that.

[veer]

BCCI and IPL need to take it easy.. otherwise in few years, India will be the only team competing in world cricket..

[Karan114]

BCCI and IPL need to take it easy.. otherwise in few years' date=' India will be the only team competing in world cricket..[/quote'] I'm no fan of the IPL or BCCI at all, and it is true they bully their way around, but Sri Lanka's sudden change in behaviour is because of their entourage of politicians not getting VIP treatment during the World Cup final. Sri Lanka's cricket is every bit as politicized as India's so let's not start thinking there is any nobility in what the Lankans are doing.

[debachat]

BCCI cannot force any board to reschedule its calendar or allow its players to participate in the IPL. However any board which gives a commitment must follow through on that because the decisions of the franchisees are based on that.

BCCI cannot and in the larger interest of the game should not make good players skip their national commitment. However, is SLCB is willing to breach contractual commitment (assuming the NOC till 22nd May is one) then the stakes must be high. However, the BCCI response would be interesting. I am a bit torn on this one - who to side with. Nationalist and patriotic feelings would make BCCI go kick some SLCB ass but the love for cricket tells me this will not be good for 5-day and 50-over cricket if top players start doing the same.

[Stuge]

Sri Lanka board to ask Malinga to return from IPL

Sri Lanka Cricket will ask fast bowler Lasith Malinga to return from the IPL and undergo a rehabilitation programme after he made himself unavailable for the upcoming Test series in England. Malinga had stated that he is suffering from an injury, but continues to play for Mumbai Indians in the Twenty20 tournament. Malinga did not figure in the Sri Lanka squad of 16 players named for the three-Test series against England starting on May 26 in Cardiff. "It looks a bit awkward when someone says he is injured and continues to play cricket," Sri Lanka's new chairman of selectors Duleep Mendis said. "That is the reason why we have decided to write to Malinga and ask him to return home and undergo a rehabilitation programme. Malinga has specifically mentioned in a letter that he is not available for Test matches right now because he has a nagging knee problem. "When the player says that he is injured and he has to undergo a rehab programme what we can do is to tell him to undergo it immediately without continuing to play cricket in the IPL, and then get ready for cricket in Sri Lanka if he is interested in playing for his country." Mendis said they would have to wait and see what Malinga's response was before deciding on the next course of action. Nishantha Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, also expressed concerns over Malinga's absence from the Test team. "We are very much concerned about Malinga because he is an important product in the team," Ranatunga said. "He should be up and running to play in all three formats of the game. In that sense getting him fit and ready to play at full strength is very important." Malinga has shown a reluctance to play Test cricket since he sustained a long-term knee injury more than two years ago. Since December 2007, he has played only two Tests - against India at home last year - and has confined himself to playing in limited overs and Twenty20 cricket, where he has been very successful. He has, however, not officially stated that he is unavailable to play Test cricket for Sri Lanka.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-sri-lanka-2011/content/current/story/512051.html

[Sujithdoc]

I have never seen ungrateful losers. After all the times BCCI got them out of financial trouble.

[cowboysfan]

I dont know why he came up with the injury excuse,he clearly doesnt want to play tests anymore and has said so before the IPL.

[Sachinism]

Lasith Malinga gives up Test cricket Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, has given up Test cricket because of a "long-standing degenerative condition in the right knee". He intends to continue playing the shorter formats, though, and hopes to play in the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup. Malinga made himself unavailable for the upcoming Test tour of England citing his fitness problems, but has been playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Sri Lanka Cricket asked him to return home and undergo a rehabilitation programme, but Malinga has now clarified that his condition stops him from playing only the longest format. "Although I am sufficiently fit to play both ODI and T20 cricket, I have a long-standing degenerative condition in my right knee that needs to be carefully managed," Malinga's statement read. "The condition relates directly to the chronic knee injury I sustained playing for Sri Lanka in Australia back in February 2008, an injury that prevented me from playing ODI cricket for 16 months. "The injury was a career-threatening injury and my orthopaedic surgeon was of the opinion that given his experience with other professional athletes in Australia I was very fortunate to play again. I have since been advised by the national team physiotherapist and my orthopaedic consultant that my condition will deteriorate when fielding or bowling for prolonged periods. "I did try to return to Test cricket after a three-year absence last year [against India] following requests from the team management and the selectors, but it left me unfit nursing severe knee pain for two months. "I have realised that the heavy workload of Test cricket, which requires a fast bowler to be able to bowl more than 15 overs, sometimes on consecutive days, could lead to permanent injury. I have carefully considered my options and have decided that not playing Test cricket will help me achieve my goal of representing Sri Lanka in the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup." Malinga said he was available for all limited-overs internationals, and planned to travel to Sri Lanka soon to discuss his plans with the selectors. http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/current/story/512239.html

[IKnowU]

I dont know why he came up with the injury excuse' date='he clearly doesnt want to play tests anymore and has said so before the IPL.[/quote'] He hardly ever played......because of his fitness. Now he doesnt to risk playing tests that could cut his income from IPL, ODI's and t20/20

[kabira]

I remember reading his interview before World Cup that he wakes up with pain everyday. He cannot play for long if does not choose and play. He was planning to give up Test cricket even then.

[kabira]

http://www.islandcricket.lk/interview/srilankacricket/4579347/they-don%E2%80%99t-wake-up-with-sore-knees-every-morning-like-i-do-%E2%80%93-malin 'They don’t wake up with sore knees every morning like I do' – Malinga February 10, 2011 In an exclusive interview with Island Cricket, Lasith Malinga explains why he may not play another Test match for Sri Lanka again. Why are you unable to play Test cricket but not ODIs and Twenty20s? I missed the last Test series against West Indies because the team management decided not to risk aggravating my knee problems before the World Cup. Test cricket or 3 - 4 day cricket places a much bigger strain on my knees because I have to be able to bowl a minimum of 15-20 overs in a day, on consecutive days. And in Test cricket, these days, you also have to play back to back games. When I returned from injury, I started with T20 cricket and then moved to ODI cricket, which gave me some recovery time to get over the soreness. Test cricket is far tougher physically and these days there are a lot more Test matches than there were before. How well did your knee hold up when you last played a Test match? It took me about two months to physically recover and completely get over the soreness, after the India series. You have stated that you will be assessing your Test career after the World Cup. Yes, I need to carefully consider what is best for me and Sri Lanka. I love Test cricket. And we have some great series coming up against England, Australia and South Africa. But recent tests in November showed that there is a lot of wear and tear under my right knee cap and some thinning of the cartilage. The doctors have said that I will always have sore knees and the more cricket I play the more they will degenerate. So, I need to sit with the selectors and team management to work out how best to plan my career – do I risk playing all three formats right now, or do we try and extend my career a couple of years by playing just ODI’s and T20 games. What would you like to say to those who don't agree with your move? Some feel Test cricket should be given more prominence than Twenty20s and ODIs. They don’t wake up with sore knees every morning like I do and they did not spend over a year worrying whether I would ever be able to bowl again! It is not a question of whether Test cricket is more or less important. It is a question of what is physically possible and what the team feels is the most sensible thing to do. Sri Lanka has a busy Test schedule this year; is it safe to say that you won't be a part of it? I don’t know. Let’s see how the World Cup goes and then I will sit down with the captain, new coach and selectors.

[vijay810]

Smart decision by Malinga..Smarter than Mendis who took bekaar ka panga with BCCI

[yoda]

I don't understand why a player can't freely choose which forms of the game he is interested in playing. :dontknow: It only creates more opportunities for others.

[achilles]

A few observations- 1. SLC really had little leverage over its players, when they mooted the idea to call them back. 2. The players stood up for themselves and the Sports Minister chose the wrong time to play politics. 3. Malinga had a snap, I don't blame him for it. He'll lose out on atleast half a million. 4. Players have a limited shelf-life. They have a right to choose. 5. SLC couldn't have chosen a worse issue to stamp "national integrity" on the players and they've been majorly pwned. 6. Malinga is a major loss to the Test team. SLC do not want to be losing more players for "cricketing reasons". A question for everyone siding with SLC- "Where does their self-respect go when they come asking for the 10% revenues from IPL that we give them to bail them out?"