'I'm ready to play Pakistan' - Nuwan Pradeep
After recovering from a knee injury, which deprived him of his debut earlier this year, fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep speaks to Island Cricket about his road to recovery and being selected for the series against Pakistan in UAE next month.
September 21, 2011
Nuwan Pradeep (right in picture) is likely to make his Test debut during the upcoming Pakistan tour. © Nadeera Nawela/Island Cricket.
How did you sustain your injury?
NP: I injured myself during a warm-up match against England Lions. When fielding, I tried to stop the ball, and my knee hit the ground pretty hard. At the time, I didn't feel a thing - it was OK. The very next ball, I took a running catch too, but the following morning I could barely walk.
What happened next?
NP: The physio took a look at me. He said that I will have to rest for at least two months. I had to return from England. I took a flight back to Sri Lanka.
What exactly was the injury?
NP: I was told that my tendons were damaged in my knee.
How is your knee now?
NP: I have fully recovered. The knee is fine now. I can run and walk fine, and I have started bowling as well. I am ready for the Pakistan tour. I am ready to play Pakistan.
Some say you are the fastest bowler in Sri Lanka at the moment; how fast can you bowl?
NP: I can bowl over 140 km/h.
What about your action? Is it true that you have an action similar to Lasith Malinga?
NP: No, that's not true. My action is totally different. I don't have a slinging action like Malinga.
Sri Lankan selectors have named Nuwan Pradeep in their 16-man squad for the Test series against Pakistan in UAE. He is expected to make his Test debut during the series, after the disappointment in England earlier this year. During Sri Lanka's 2011 tour of England, Pradeep impressed with figures of 4/29 against England Lions and was inline for Test selection when he suffered the injury.
In an interview last year, Sri Lanka's fast bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake said Pradeep can clock speeds of 150 km/h. "He’s got express pace and he’s also accurate. He’s a very special bowler; comes at the batsman with a very long run up and his pace has troubled many batsmen in the domestic circuit," Samaranayake said.
Nuwan Pradeep was talking to Island Cricket's Hilal Suhaib.
© Island Cricket
Comments
7 December 2008
7 weeks 6 days
Exciting prospect. Cant wait to see him in action!
15 April 2010
1 year 3 days
yeah..wonderful prospect..hope he does well!!
its pity,a few years back i also could clock 150 kmph but no one selected me,so i gave up fast bowling,now i try spin
25 January 2010
9 weeks 5 days
waiting to see him live,hope he doesnt get injured playing on those dustbowls though
15 January 2011
2 days 11 hours
Yep cant wait to see this guy but unhappy to see the guy injured before he even got started. Just need a break with a genuine bowling prospect badly.
27 November 2009
8 weeks 5 days
I just hope that he hasn't lost pace because of the injury. That question should have been asked.
If wickets are like Sharjah of the 1990s no point taking fast bowlers.
17 September 2011
6 weeks 18 hours
Hopefully this guy got something special, not only Sri Lanka cricket, but the world cricket need some bowlers that can bring people to cricket.
22 February 2011
1 year 28 weeks
Pakistan can handle pace because most of our bowlers bowl over 140
now our cricketers become injurred quite often unlike earlier days. Perhaps we play too much cricket, or we do not know how to maintain fitness. Who is in charge of this in SLC, as we wish to have his views on this.
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