The New York Times had an article about rapper M.I.A., a Brit with Sri Lankan — and, more pertinently, Tamil — origins. Her generally supportive statements of the Tamil Tigers have ruffled more than a few feathers on the island, especially given her outsized profile in the West (say what you want about Muralitharan, but no American knows him). Continue reading
How does he do it? A couple of things:
1. He doesn’t have a stock delivery. Some take that as a weakness; others think its an inherent part of his guile and difficulty. So, he bowls googlies when off-spinners usually don’t (wristy leg-spinners prefer that); he also bowls quicker, which gives batsmen less time to adjust to his various spins. This is a crucial factor of his success: unlike Murali, who often relies on loop and flight, Mendis goes straight in.
2. But there’s also the fact that he bowls differently. There’s the infamous “carrom ball,” which is explained fully here. I’ve included some videos below; watch as the middle finger just flicks the ball, which then does as Mendis pleases, spinning into and away when he wants. Continue reading
Ducking Beamers: A Cricket Blog 