Page 3 - Top 5 World Cup specialists: Part 1

#3 Chaminda Vaas

Chaminda Vaas during his spectacular spell against Bangladesh in the 2003 WC

The mainstay of Sri Lanka’s pace bowling attack through the mid-90s and early 2000s, Chaminda Vaas played in four WCs from 1996 to 2007 and is number 4 in the list of highest wicket-takers in ODI WCs with 49 wickets. While he wasn’t too successful in the first two, the left armer topped bowling charts in the 2003 WC in South Africa, picking up 23 wickets at an average of 14.4 and an economy rate of 3.76.

He used his experience to good effect against weaker sides, decimating Bangladesh with a six-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick in the first over, and leaving minnows like Canada and Kenya clueless as he regularly made the ball talk, in helpful conditions. In a close game against the West Indies, his 4-22 and 25-ball 28 proved decisive, winning him the Player-of-the-Match award.

When Sri Lanka ran into the rampaging Australian side in the semi-finals, Vaas accounted for Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, India’s wreckers-to-be in the final, cheaply, and his three wickets were instrumental in restricting the Aussies to 212; however, a poor batting display saw the Lankans fall well short of the target and knocked out of the tournament. In the process, as reported by the BBC, Vaas broke the record for the highest number of wickets in a single WC, which he would hold till the next edition when McGrath took over the mantle.

In the twilight of his career, Vaas came up with yet another admirable showing in the 2007 WC, picking up 13 wickets at an average of 22 and an economy rate of 3.68. His consistency was a crucial factor spurring the Lankans to the tournament final where they again ran into Australia, their nemesis from four years back, and abjectly surrendered, incidentally the only match wherein Vaas went wicket-less and was expensive (ER of 6.75) by his own high standards.