Top 5 left-arm bowlers in One-Day cricket

Chaminda Vaas

2. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka)

Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas was to Sri Lankan cricket what Dale Steyn is to the South Africans – a wicket-taking behemoth. Easily the most penetrative and successful Sri Lankan new-ball bowler, Vaas was often skipper Arjuna Ranatunga’s go-to man for breaking partnerships and providing the early breakthroughs. He formed a successful combination with the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan; together, they troubled international batsmen for more than a decade.

Vaas entered the record books when he wrecked Zimbabwe’s batting line-up with a hostile spell, finishing with the first ever eight-wicket haul in ODI cricket; his 8/19 still remain the best bowling figures in the shorter format. He was also notable for having taken a hat-trick with the first three balls of the game against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup.

Blessed with the ability to swing and seam the ball, Vaas also had a trademark delivery in the late in-dipper, along with a carefully disguised off-cutter; he once castled Virender Sehwag with that delivery in an ODI match in England. Age and persistent injuries forced him to bring the curtains down on a wonderful career in 2009.