South Asian Business news and information

Lasith Malinga was not a famous player until yesterday. Today, his picture is all over the media world because of his great performance against South Africa yesterday. Sri Lanka did not win the match but Lasith Malinga surely played better than every South African player. He took 4 wickets in 4 successive balls. No bowler has this achievement in ODI cricket except Lasith Malinga. This is the first hattrick in World Cup Cricket 2007.

IHT reported:

The South Africans had Jacques Kallis at the crease and were one stroke from victory at 206 for five, chasing Sri Lanka's modest 209, before Malinga struck.

He became the first bowler to take wickets with four consecutive balls in an international match.

"That was a pretty stressful last five overs, geez!" South Africa captain Graeme Smith said. "We knew it was going to be a difficult chase — we were dominant for 95 overs ... at the end, we're happy to get away with that."

Malinga removed Shaun Pollock (13) and Andrew Hall (0) on the last two balls of his eighth over — the 45th — and Jacques Kallis (86) caught behind and Makhaya Ntini bowled on the first two balls of his ninth.

Lasith Malinga bowls very well. He can swing the ball a lot in the air and that makes him very dangerous. Sri Lanka is playing well in World Cup Cricket 2007. If Lasith Malinga can perform well then Sri Lanka would surely go a long way in this World Cup.