I am so happy that Sri Lanka are giving 100%, hope they will continue with same momentum, says Rangana Herath

Former Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath transitions to coaching, reflects on career, praises Ashwin, and discusses Sri Lankan cricket.

To be in the shadows and then grab your slice of sunshine is never easy. Rangana Herath precisely did that. For a large part of his early career, the former Sri Lankan left-arm spinner had to deal with the greatness of Muttiah Muralitharan, and then he carved out his own path.

Having bowed out in 2018 with 433 Test wickets, Herath has been a busy presence in the international coaching realm. He had a stint with Bangladesh and now has a flexible role with New Zealand. Having shifted base to Australia, Herath said: “I moved to Australia with my family, about two and a half years ago. Considering all the angles, this is one of the best places to live. I do a bit of one-on-one coaching here.”

Explaining his coaching stints, Herath said: “With New Zealand, I am not doing a full-time job. Basically, they hire me for the subcontinental games.” And how big was New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep in the Test series in India? “I played many years for Sri Lanka, and we never won a Test in India. So, winning 3-0 series on their soil, that’s special. If they (New Zealand) can win one game in India, that will be a good achievement, that was the initial thought. That first innings of India when they got 46 in Bengaluru, after that the thinking was if we can win one game, then why can’t we win another game?”

Looking at the current state of Sri Lankan cricket, Herath said: “I am so happy that the guys are giving their 100 per cent. Sri Lanka is doing well at the moment and I am sure they will continue with the same momentum. (Coach) Sanath (Jayasuriya) is a character, who wants to win every game and he knows the kind of language that Sri Lankan players need to be addressed.”

Gazing across the seas, Herath praised R. Ashwin: “He is such a clever guy and a very smart bowler, I would like to congratulate him and wish him for his future. I thought Washington (Sundar) bowled brilliantly in the series against New Zealand and he played the first game in Perth here as well. He has a long way to go. He can bat as well, and after Ashwin, I think Washington will do most of the work. And Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) is completely different. He tends to go a bit faster and is a bit of a back of a length as well. He keeps the batters under pressure and takes wickets.”

Speaking about the quirky talent that Sri Lanka is famous for, Herath elaborated: “Sri Lanka always produces different kinds of guys, mystery bowlers like Ajantha Mendis, we have Matheesha (Pathirana) now, before that we had Lasith Malinga. We play street cricket in Sri Lanka, and in backyards. You can’t produce these cricketers with coaching, it has to come naturally. I am sure there will be a few other cricketers like this in the future as well.”