Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga equals Waqar Younis record for five-wicket hauls

Bowler takes 5-79 against Ireland in Cricket World Cup Qualifier and matches Pakistan quick by taking three successive five-fors

Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates after bowling Ireland's Gareth Delany during the Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, on June 25, 2023. Photo: ICC

Wanindu Hasaranga equalled Waqar Younis’ record of consecutive five-wicket hauls in one-day internationals as Sri Lanka ended Ireland’s chances of reaching the World Cup.

The leg-spinner took 5-79 to lead his side to another hefty win at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.

He started the tournament with six against the UAE, then took five more against Oman, before doing similar against the Irish.

Three successive five-fors matches the record held by Waqar for Pakistan in matches against New Zealand and West Indies in 1990.

Hasaranga will get one more chance to better the record in the group phase of the Qualifier, when Sri Lanka face Scotland in the final game in Bulawayo on Tuesday.

The two sides will be vying for top spot in the group, as well as two more crucial points to take through to the Super Six phase.

Scotland beat Oman by 76 runs in the other match in the group on Sunday, meaning they – like Sri Lanka – have won their first three matches in the competition.

Despite Hasaranga’s excellence with the ball, Dimuth Karunaratne was named player of the match after his maiden ODI century laid the platform for Sri Lanka’s 133-run win over the Irish.

“I don’t get nervous in Tests because I have scored hundreds before,” Karunaratne said.

“I just want to apply the same methods I use in Test cricket. It helped me a lot because I was scoring heavily in Test cricket.

“I used the same approach here: time the ball, run hard, and maybe that is why I have had success. Now I know how to get a hundred.”

The loss was Ireland’s third in the competition and ended their chances of progressing. It means they will again be absent from the World Cup, a competition they have not played in since 2015.

They have one more match left in the opening round, against the UAE, at Bulawayo Athletic Club on Tuesday, before consolation play-off fixtures in Harare.

Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, said it will be tough to raise themselves for those games after failing to achieve their primary goal in Zimbabwe.

“We are disappointed, naturally, that we are out of the competition,” Balbirnie said.

“We came here to qualify, so to not even get to the Super Six is hugely disappointing for this group, but we have to move on.

“We are going to have to pick ourselves up quickly. We are hugely disappointed not to get through to the next stage, but whenever you play for Ireland, no matter what the situation or game, you take pride.

“We have three games to get some pride back and hopefully go home with some positives.”