The career statistics of Sri Lanka's carrom-ball specialist Ajantha Mendis (70 wickets in 19 Tests, 152 in 87 ODIs and 66 in 39 T20Is), who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Wednesday, do not do justice to the kind of impact he made on world cricket in 2008. But try telling that to Ashley Mallett, the spin expert, who had a role in Mendis playing for his country. "I don't go by all the statistics. Ajantha helped win games and he had a good career," Mallett, 74, told mid-day from Adelaide yesterday.

In 2006, Mallett was invited by the Sri Lankan board to develop a spin academy. One day, a young cricketer answering to the name of Ajantha Mendis arrived at the nets. He was asked by Mallett what he bowls. "I am a medium pacer," Mendis replied. Mallett's next words were, "this is a spin bowling camp" and Mendis wasted no time in saying, "I am a medium pacer but I can bowl off-cutters, leg breaks and the doosra." Mallett then asked Mendis not to bother bowling the doosra and bowl "your other stuff."