Sri Lanka bowling coach sends SOS to Malinga

Sri Lanka's bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake is hopeful Lasith Malinga would make a return to Test cricket and beef up their attack which was described as the "worse ever" to come Down Under by former Australian pacer Rodney Hogg.

"I would like to see him back," Ramanayake told reporters at the MCG on Thursday as Sri Lanka prepare for the Boxing Day Test.

Malinga, 29, retired from Test cricket last year to concentrate on the shorter formats of the game after suffering a serious knee injury.

After watching his inexperienced attack toil away against Australia in the first Test in Hobart, while Malinga dominated in the Big Bash League, Ramanayake admitted he would love to have him back at his disposal, according to AAP.

"Maybe he might reverse his decision. But he'll want to get fitter and stronger, (then) maybe he can reconsider his decision," said Ramanayake, a former Sri Lanka fast bowler himself.

"At the moment, he's doing well for the short forms of the game," he added.

Malinga has been particularly devastating in the Twenty20 format shining for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and for Shane Warne's Melbourne Stars in the Australian domestic tournament though he failed to fire for Sri Lanka in the World Cup final against West Indies.

The Sri Lankan speedster caused a sensation when he took six wickets for seven runs off four amazing overs to spearhead Melbourne Stars to a 10-wicket victory over Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League at the WACA in Perth.

It ensured the Scorchers were bowled out for just 69, the lowest score in Australian domestic T20.

Malinga's 6-7 is the second-best spell of bowling in Twenty20 cricket at first-class level in the world, only bettered by Arul Suppiah's 6-5 for Somerset against Glamorgan in July 2011 and it knocks off Michael Dighton's 6-25 as the best figures in Australian T20 cricket.

However, he immediately ruled out a return to five-day cricket after his epic performance which came just days before the Hobart match.

"The thing is that I'm retired already and I have concentrated on T20 and ODI, and that's it," Malinga was quoted as saying by AAP.

He last played a Test for Sri Lanka against India in August 2010.

Asked whether there was any chance Malinga might make a Test comeback for the final game of the current series, in Sydney in early January, Ramanayake said that hadn't been discussed.
 
"I would like to see him back in the team definitely, but it's his decision," he said.
 
But he admitted the Lankans could certainly use him.
 
"We haven't got really firepower in the team, someone like Lasith to come and take quick wickets," Ramanayake said.
 
"But they are very inexperienced."

The ball is in Malinga's court but whether he will put his career on line by answering his coach's plea remains to be seen.

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