Vinothen John was one of those impressive Sri Lankan pacers who had a very short stay in international cricket. He featured in just six Tests and accounted for two five-wicket hauls, both of which came against New Zealand. Blessed with a tall frame, John wasn’t particularly quick for a fast bowler but he could hit the hard length and probe batsmen’s techniques, all this with some uncomfortable bounce that he could generate effortlessly. Lack of guile and predictable nature meant that he didn’t succeed in ODIs but he had all the attributes to succeed at the Test level. In fact, his performances had cemented himself to be one of the leading Sri Lankan bowlers in the years to come. That wasn’t to be though, and in contrast, he got to play more ODIs, perhaps due to his build and aggressive mindset. The returns weren’t great but he managed to hang on and retired after the 1987 World Cup.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan