Chaminda Vaas
Encyclopedia
Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (Sinhala: වර්නකුලසුරිය පටබැන්දිගේ උශාන්ත ජොසප් චමින්ද වාස්) (born 27 January 1974 in Mattumagala), usually known as Chaminda Vaas, is a Sri Lanka
n cricket
er is 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 had'. In 2004 he gained recognition for his talent 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.
in 1994. Within his first year in the team, he made a great impact guiding Sri Lanka to their maiden Test Match
victory away from home, against New Zealand
at Napier by taking 5-47 in the first innings and 5-43 in the second.
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
. He was recently selected for the Afro Asia cup but dropped out due to county commitments.
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, in which game Vaas also took a hat-trick
with the first three deliveries of the Bangladesh innings.
In 2004, Vaas was also selected for the ICC World XI at the inaugural ICC awards.
On 26 June 2007 he made his maiden test century, playing against Bangladesh he hit 100 not out in a total of 577-6 declared in Colombo. This came 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.
In August 2008, Vaas crossed yet another landmark, when he had Yuvraj Singh caught off his bowling in the fourth One Day match. Yuvraj Singh
became Vaas' 400th ODI victim, by doing this Vaas joined the illustrious company of Wasim Akram
, Waqar Younis
and his team mate Muttiah Muralitharan
as being the only bowlers in international cricket to have taken 400 ODI wickets.
He is now retired from Test Cricket, with the 3rd Test against Pakistan as his last Test Match.
. He has also taken 400 One Day International wickets, again only one of two Sri Lankans to do so. As of the 24th of September 2011 only 3 bowlers have taken more ODI wickets.
Most notably, Vaas holds the record for the best bowling figures in one-day international cricket, 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 trick
s 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 against Zimbabwe in 2001; the second came during the 2003 World Cup against Bangladesh
, and was achieved with the first three balls of the game. This had never before been seen in One Day International cricket.
for the 2007 cricket season as an Overseas registration. 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 is set to join Northants for the entire 2011 season.
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.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er is 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 had'. In 2004 he gained recognition for his talent when he was selected for the World Test and one-day XI at the inaugural ICC Awards
ICC Awards
The ICC Awards is a set of sports awards for cricket. The awards recognise and honour the best international cricket players of the previous 12 months...
. He was once again selected for the World Test XI at the 2005 awards.
Playing style
He is a left arm swing bowler. Vaas used to open the bowling for Sri Lanka and is noted for his in-dipper. Also among his arsenal is an off cutter which is well disguised. He has added reverse-swing to his armoury, a skill that has 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 to have taken 200 wickets have scored more runs than Vaas http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statistics/AllRounders/AllRoundersRWC.asp?Stat=2. As a fielder, he is noted for his strong arm.Career highlights
A past student of prestigious St. Anthony's college wattala, he made his debut for the Sri Lankan cricket teamSri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
in 1994. Within his first year in the team, he made a great impact guiding Sri Lanka to their maiden Test Match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
victory away from home, against New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
at Napier by taking 5-47 in the first innings and 5-43 in the second.
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
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
. He was recently selected for the Afro Asia cup but dropped out due to county commitments.
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, in which game Vaas also took a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
with the first three deliveries of the Bangladesh innings.
In 2004, Vaas was also selected for the ICC World XI at the inaugural ICC awards.
On 26 June 2007 he made his maiden test century, playing against Bangladesh he hit 100 not out in a total of 577-6 declared in Colombo. This came 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
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Test cricket team. He is a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-hand batsman. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches...
). Soon after in November 2007, Vaas played his 100th Test match against England, in what was also Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Teran Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. An all-rounder, he played for the Sri Lankan cricket team from 1989 to 2011...
's final Test match for Sri Lanka.
In August 2008, Vaas crossed yet another landmark, when he had Yuvraj Singh caught off his bowling in the fourth One Day match. Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
became Vaas' 400th ODI victim, by doing this Vaas joined the illustrious company of Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
, Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis Maitla is a former Pakistani right arm fast bowler in cricket and widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time...
and his team mate Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
as being the only bowlers in international cricket to have taken 400 ODI wickets.
He is now retired from Test Cricket, with the 3rd Test against Pakistan as his last Test Match.
Records
Chaminda Vaas is Sri Lanka's most successful fast bowler ever, having taken over 300 Test wickets. He has been the head of the Sri Lankan bowling attack for many years. He achieved his 300th wicket on 12 December 2005 against India, becoming just the second Sri Lankan bowler to do so, after Muttiah MuralitharanMuttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
. He has also taken 400 One Day International wickets, again only one of two Sri Lankans to do so. As of the 24th of September 2011 only 3 bowlers have taken more ODI wickets.
Most notably, Vaas holds the record for the best bowling figures in one-day international cricket, 8 for 19 off eight overs against Zimbabwe at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket...
in 2001. Vaas took the first eight wickets of Zimbabwe's then record-lowest ODI innings of 38, with Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
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 trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
s 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 against Zimbabwe in 2001; the second came during the 2003 World Cup against Bangladesh
Bangladeshi cricket team
The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status...
, and was achieved with the first three balls of the game. This had never before been seen in One Day International cricket.
Club Cricket
He had joined Middlesex County Cricket ClubMiddlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
for the 2007 cricket season as an Overseas registration. In 2009 he played some matches in P.Sen trophy for Mohun Bagan. He also joined Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
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 is set to join Northants for the entire 2011 season.
Personal life
Vaas is Roman Catholic and is known to pray before every game. 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."According to Bill Frindall
Bill Frindall
William Howard Frindall, MBE was an English cricket scorer and statistician. He was familiar to cricket followers from his appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme Test Match Special, nicknamed the Bearded Wonder by Brian Johnston for his ability to research the most obscure cricketing facts in...
, scorer and statistician for BBC Radio's Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
, 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- In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
- The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career
| Test Centuries of Chaminda Vaas | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Match | |City/Country | |Year | ||||
| [1] | 100* | 97 | Bangladesh | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2007 |
Test Half Centuries
- In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
- The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career
| Test Half Centuries of Chaminda Vaas | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Match | |Venue | Dunedin Dunedin Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... | 1995 | ||
| [2] | 57 | 15 | New Zealand | Dunedin, New Zealand | 1997 |
| [3] | 53* | 35 | Pakistan | Rawalpindi Rawalpindi Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad... , Pakistan |
2000 |
| [4] | 54 | 41 | South Africa | Galle Galle Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District.... , Sri Lanka |
2000 |
| [5] | 74* | 56 | Zimbabwe | Colombo Colombo Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo... , Sri Lanka |
2001 |
| [6] | 72* | 57 | Zimbabwe | Kandy Kandy Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an... , 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 Providence, Guyana Providence is a community in the Demerara-Mahaica Region of Guyana, on the east bank of the Demerara River, located at , altitude 1 metre . Providence is approximately south of the capital, Georgetown.... , West Indies |
2008 |
ODI Half Centuries
- In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
- The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career
| ODI Half Centuries of Chaminda Vaas | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Match | |Venue | |||||||
| Batting | Bowling | |||||||
| Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
| Tests Test cricket Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days... |
100* | Sri Lanka v Bangladesh | Colombo (SSC) Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2007 | 7-71 | Sri Lanka v West Indies | Colombo (SSC) Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2001 |
| ODI | 50* | Sri Lanka v Pakistan | Sharjah Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium is in the emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It was originally constructed in the early 1980s and has been much improved over the years... |
2001 | 8-19 | Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe | Colombo (SSC) Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2001 |
| T20I Twenty20 International A Twenty20 International is a form of cricket which is played over 20 overs per side between two national cricket teams. The game is played under the rules of Twenty20 cricket... |
21 | Sri Lanka v Australia | Cape Town Newlands Cricket Ground Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is a South African cricket ground. It's the home of the Cape Cobras, who play in the SuperSport Series, MTN Domestic Championship and Standard Bank Pro20 competitions. It is also a venue for Test matches. Newlands is regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket... |
2007 | 2-14 | Sri Lanka v Bangladesh | Johannesburg Wanderers Stadium BIDVest Wanderers Stadium is a stadium situated just south of Sandton in Illovo, Johannesburg in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Test, One Day and First class cricket matches are played here. It is also the home ground for the Highveld Lions, formerly known as Gauteng .The stadium has a seating... |
2007 |
| FC First-class cricket First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams... |
134 | Colts Colts Cricket Club Colts Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.-Honours:* P Saravanamuttu Trophy 1991–92* Premier Trophy 1999–002001–022004–052008–09 -External links:*... v Burgher Burgher Recreation Club Burgher Recreation Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.-External links:*... |
Colombo (SSC) Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2004 | 7-54 | Western Province Western Province, Sri Lanka The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:... v Southern Province Ruhuna cricket team Ruhuna cricket team is one of the five provincial cricket teams that take part in Sri Lankan Inter-Provincial Tournament, representing Southern Province. The Ruhuna cricket team based in Galle. It draws cricketers from Sri Lanka Premier Trophy. Team colors are Red and Blue... |
Colombo (RPS) R. Premadasa Stadium R. Premadasa Stadium is a cricket stadium situated on Khettarama Road, Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The stadium was, prior to June 1994, known as the Khettarama Cricket Stadium and is today one of the main venues in which the Sri Lankan cricket team play... |
1999 |
| LA | 76* | Colts Colts Cricket Club Colts Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.-Honours:* P Saravanamuttu Trophy 1991–92* Premier Trophy 1999–002001–022004–052008–09 -External links:*... v Nondescripts Nondescripts Cricket Club Nondescripts Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1888... |
Colombo (SSC) Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2009 | 8-19 | Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe | Colombo (SSC) Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2001 |
| T20 | 73 | Northamptonshire Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the... v Durham Durham County Cricket Club Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was... |
Northampton County Cricket Ground, Northampton The County Ground, is a cricket venue on Wantage Road in the Abington area of Northampton, UK. It is home to Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.... |
2010 | 3-16 | Northamptonshire Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the... v Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws... |
Trent Bridge Trent Bridge Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of... |
2010 |
External links
| Chaminda Vaas's achievements |
|---|