“One problem that he has…..”: Ashwin on Matheesha Pathirana’s bowling action

The pacer recently suffered a hamstring injury during the second T20I against Bangladesh this month

Chennai: Indian spin veteran Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday spoke on the bowling action of Sri Lanka and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Matheesha Pathirana and pointed out that the youngster puts his back under immense strain while bowling and “gets into awkward positions”.

The 21-year-old pacer was one of the standouts for CSK in their fifth-title-winning season last year, taking 19 wickets at an average of 19.52. The pacer recently suffered a hamstring injury during the second T20I against Bangladesh this month. He has played 12 ODIs and six T20Is for Sri Lanka.

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Speaking on his Youtube channel on Wednesday, Ashwin said that Pathirana has a lower angle of release, which puts his back under strain and his front leg “collapses” while releasing the ball. Comparing his action with Lankan pace legend Lasith Malinga, with whom the 21-year-old has drawn comparisons due to his slingy action, Ashwin said that Malinga has a “beautiful” side-on action which is much better for his body as his back and feet are “parallel to the crease”.

“One problem that he has but Malinga does not have is that his angle of release is much lower. That puts immense strain on his back, and his front leg literally collapses when he releases the ball; the core gets worked up too much, and it is very strenuous. Lasith Malinga goes for a beautiful side-on position. His back and feet will be parallel to the crease. But Pathirana does not get that. The action is breaking, it is rotating, and the torque is huge,” said Ashwin.

Ashwin later pointed out that though Malinga speaks highly of the young pacer, he is getting into “dangerous positions and complications.” “I understand the complexity of facing him is different, but he is facing different problems now. This might be just his early stages, and his body needs to fill up more, but he is getting into some dangerous positions and complications. In fact, I have worked so much with Malinga, and Malinga himself told me that he’s a great prospect, but he gets into awkward positions, which is what I feel,” he added.

The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start from March 22, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set to clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a South Indian derby at their home arena–MA Chidambaram Stadium. Pathirana could feature in the match depending on his fitness.