It was a hat ‘trick’ that did it for a priestly Vaas
Sunday, March 9 2003 17:48 Hrs (IST)

Johannesburg: It should not come as a surprise that Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas, the most successful bowler at the World Cup with 16 wickets, has a knack for taking hat-tricks.

It was a hat-trick in school that made him shun his ambition of becoming a priest and turn to cricket.

He claimed a magnificent hat-trick in this World Cup against Bangladesh when he took wickets off the first three deliveries of the match and added a fourth with the fifth ball.

He finished with 6 for 25, a dream for most bowlers, except that Vaas already has One-day cricket's best figures of 8 for 19 to his credit.

Vaas said he wanted to become a Catholic priest in school and had even attended a seminary for a few months when fate intervened.

Called up at the last minute to play for his school because one of the regular bowlers was injured, Vaas made an immediate impression by claiming a hat-trick.

"I suppose it was up to God, so I should thank Him for the cricket because when I was small I really wanted to be a priest," Vaas told the ‘Sunday Times’.

Now eight seasons as a professional, the left-armer is Sri Lanka's most successful fast bowler with 271 One-day and 206 Test wickets.

"I like the world record of 8 for 19 but the hat-trick is special because I achieved it during the World Cup," Vaas said before adding he was aware of the criticism that he got lucky against Bangladesh, a team dismissed in some quarters as no better than a club side.

"I have been bowling well in Tests and One-dayers. All bowlers perform well in patches.

"Here, I have bowled well focusing on not giving runs away and at home I worked on the seam position of the ball, the way I run in and my balance. It has produced wickets."

Copyright AFP 2001

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