Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (born 27 January 1974) is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer who represented the Sri Lanka national cricket team.
In 2004 he gained international recognition when he was selected for the World Test and one-day XI at the inaugural ICC Awards.He was once again selected for the World Test XI in 2005. In his fifteen-year international career, he was relatively free of injury.
He has set a number of national and international records as a bowler.[1][2] Vaas currently holds the record for the best bowling figures in ODI history, and is the only bowler to take an 8-wicket haul in ODIs. As of 11 February 2022, only 3 bowlers have taken more ODI wickets than Vaas.[3] He is the youngest bowler to take 300 wickets in ODI cricket.[4] Vaas was also the first Sri Lankan to take a hat-trick in the ODI format of the game which he did in 2001 against Zimbabwe, and at a Cricket World Cup, which he did against Bangladesh in the 2003 tournament. His World Cup hat-trick was also the first one taken during the first three deliveries of an innings. Vaas has one of the longest names among international cricketers.
