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Advantageous to have "Ambidextrous" bowler in the side, says SLC chief selector
BIPIN DANI. Dated: 3/11/2019 12:03:20 AM
MUMBAI, Mar 10: There are very few bowlers who can bowl with both hands on cricket field.
Sri Lankan team management decided to field 20-year-old Kamindu Mendis in the ODI against South Africa at Kingsmed, Durban.
Having a player in the team, who can bowl with both hands is always advantageous, according to the Ashantha de Mel, the chief national selector, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Speaking exclusively over telephone from Colombo, he said, "Kamindu Mendis is a batting all-rounder but can bring variations in the bowling also".
"He is a batsman and also he bowls left arm to right hand batsman and right arm to left hand batsman".
In his very first over in his debut ODI, Mendis started with the right arm (to a left-handed Quinton de Kock) and switched to left hand while bowling to the right hand-batsman Rassie van der Dussen.
"The advantage is that he turns it away from the batsmen", de Mel explained.
Mendis has tried his both hands in the only T-20I against England (Colombo, last year), where he bowled 3 overs.
On Sunday, he was the most economical bowler having bowled his quotas all ten overs and gave 45 runs with one wicket.
"Mendis with this art, can bring flexibility in choosing team selection", the chief selector added further.
Mendis did inform the umpires before changing the bowling arms as it is mandatory. The bowler can switch as often as often as he likes during an over, but has to inform umpire every time.
Interestingly, the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) which governs the laws of cricket had deliberated last year about whether to drop this mandatory, but then decided against it considering the batsman's safety.