Chaminda Vaas

Deshabandu Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (born 27 January 1974) is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer who represented the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a fast medium pace bowler and regarded as one of the greatest bowlers from Sri Lanka and one of the most successful bowlers in international cricket. He was a part of the Sri Lankan squad which won the 1996 Cricket World Cup, and the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy. In 2004 Vaas gained international recognition when he was selected for the World Test and one-day XI at the inaugural ICC Awards. He was again selected for the World Test XI in 2005. In his fifteen-year international career, he was relatively free of injury. He has set a number of national and international records as a bowler. Vaas currently holds the record for the best bowling figures in ODI history, and is the only bowler to take an 8-wicket haul in ODIs. As of 11 February 2022, only 3 bowlers have taken more ODI wickets than Vaas. He is the youngest bowler to take 300 wickets in ODI cricket. Vaas was also the first Sri Lankan to take a hat-trick in the ODI format of the game which he did in 2001 against Zimbabwe, and at a Cricket World Cup, which he did against Bangladesh in the 2003 tournament. His World Cup hat-trick was also the first one taken during the first three deliveries of an innings. Vaas has one of the longest names among international cricketers.