Chaminda Vaas

Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (born 27 January 1974) is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer who represented the Sri Lanka national cricket team.

He is a fast medium pace bowler and one of the most successful bowlers in international cricket.

Vaas joined Colts Cricket Club after leaving school and made his first-class debut against Galle Cricket Club in December 1990 aged 16.

Nearly 4 years after his first-class debut, after just 13 matches, Vaas 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.

In the second test at Dunedin, only his sixth Test, he took his third five-wicket haul and was again named 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 first time.

Vaas was also the first Sri Lankan to take a hat-trick in the ODI format of the game which he did in 2001 against Zimbabwe, and at a Cricket World Cup, which he did against Bangladesh in the 2003 tournament.

His World Cup hat-trick was also the first one taken during the first three deliveries of an innings.

Vaas has one of the longest names among international cricketers.

In 2001–02, he took 26 wickets in a series win against the West Indies at home.

This included one match-haul of 14 wickets in the third test, a feat only achieved by two fast bowlers in the subcontinent, the other being Imran Khan.

At the 2003 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.

It is the first time in Test or one-day history that a bowler has taken a hat-trick with the first three balls of a game.

In 2004 Vaas gained international recognition when he was selected for the World Test and one-day XI at the inaugural ICC Awards.

In August 2004, he took six wickets in the second innings at the SSC to deliver Sri Lanka their first-ever series win over South Africa by handing out a comprehensive thrashing.

Along with rookie fast bowler Lasith Malinga, a canny Vaas exploited conditions far better than the visitors and in the fourth innings the pair terrorised South Africa's batsmen.

For his performances in 2004 and 2005, he was named in the World Test XI by ICC.

He was also named in the ICC ODI Team of the Year in 2004 and 2007.

He was again selected for the World Test XI in 2005.

In his fifteen-year international career, he was relatively free of injury.

He has set a number of national and international records as a bowler.

Vaas currently holds the record for the best bowling figures in ODI history, and is the only bowler to take an 8-wicket haul in ODIs.

As of 11 February 2022, only 3 bowlers have taken more ODI wickets than Vaas.

He is the youngest bowler to take 300 wickets in ODI cricket.

In July 2005, Vaas completed another excellent contest against West Indies, taking 13 wickets in a 2-0 drubbing to become Man of the Series.

In December 2005, he reached the 300-wicket milestone in Tests against India.

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

One of Vaas' more memorable contributions as a tailender was during the 2006 Test series in England, when he and Nuwan Kulasekara's steady defence of the ninth wicket, in spite of on-and-off interruptions by rainy weather, held the home side to a draw in the first test.

Vaas scored a half century not out in the second innings.

Although losing the second test, Sri Lanka won the third test and went on to whitewash England in the subsequent ODI series.

He joined Middlesex County Cricket Club for the 2007 cricket season as an overseas player.

At the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 he was picked by 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.

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 and 2012 seasons.

At the end of 2011 he was named their 'Player of the season' following a great all-round 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.