da imperador bet： The Sri Lankan selectors have named a 24-man squad – Upul Chandana andKaushalya Weereratne will join the 22-man squad when they have recoveredfully from injury – for the forthcoming triangular against India and NewZealand and Test series against
Dav Whatmore06-Jun-2001Dav Whatmore
National CoachThe Sri Lankan selectors have named a 24-man squad – Upul Chandana andKaushalya Weereratne will join the 22-man squad when they have recoveredfully from injury – for the forthcoming triangular against India and NewZealand and Test series against India. It provides us with a Test squad witha nice blend of youth and experience and a One-Day squad that could providethe foundation for World Cup success in 2003.Sri Lanka’s recent tour of South Africa was a humbling experience. We went,we saw, but we certainly didn’t conquer. Nevertheless, we gained valuableinsights into the necessary ingredients for success in 2003. Make nomistake; preparations for that tournament have already begun. We want to beworld champions again.One conclusion that we came to is that we need to have medium-fast bowlerswho can bat. The Sri Lankan sub-continental formula of two fast bowlers andthree spinners will not win us the cup on the fast true pitches of SouthAfrica. We may need to play four fast bowlers and therefore two promisingplayers, both of whom have now recovered from longstanding injuries, haverejoined the squad.Suresh Perera and Dilip Liyange are talented all rounders. Both have playedinternational cricket and, crucially, both are hungry for further success.Suresh Perera played against England at the Oval in 1998, but then suffereda stress fracture of the back. He is now back to full fitness and is muchstronger having put in the necessary time in the gym (fast bowlers simplyhave to be gym junkies, there is no alternative to hard work). He bowls witha classical sideways on action, moves the ball in the air and has theability to push the ball through at a reasonable pace. Moreover, he will adddepth to the batting as he has a solid technique and a good eye with theblade.Dilip Liyange is older and made his international debut in the mid-1990’s.He too suffered from injuries, this time to his ankle and knee. Despitethese setbacks, however, he has pulled himself back into contention thanksto hard work and a fine season with Colts Cricket Club this season, for whomhe has taken plenty wickets with his outswingers and scored important runs.The young Kaushalya Weereratne and Akalanka Ganagama, both of who madeencouraging starts to their international careers, are also included to makeup a promising seven man fast bowling pool with Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysaand Dilhara Fernando. All these guys are now working hard with RumeshRatnayake, who will now be working as an official fast bowling assistant. Inaddition the group have benefited from video analysis by Terry Oliver, aQueensland coach of distinction, who recently spent two-weeks in Colombo.The other noteworthy selection is that of Hashan Tillakaratne, who hasforced his way back into the squad through the sheer weight of runs he hasscored in first-class cricket during the past two seasons. It is a welcomereturn to the international fold too because he remains very fit, is anexcellent fielder, and is a determined batsmen, who places a high price onhis wicket. Hashan is no dasher, but he is a tenacious accumulator who canbat for long periods of time and is thus particularly well suited to Testcricket.There is no reason why the selectors would not consider playing bothAravinda de Silva and Hashan Tillakaratne in the Test series against India.It is now up to them to show their hunger and prove to the selectors thatthey deserve a berth. Moreover, they should be looking to offer share theirexperience to younger players and adhere to the common goal of improving asa group. I have little doubt that they will do so.Likewise, the youngsters – Tillakaratne Dilshan and Indika de Saram – havefurther opportunities to prove their worth. They, however, need to provethat they can perform under pressure if they are to secure a regular placein the Test team. There is no doubt in my mind that they have the necessarytalent and technique to perform at the highest level.The training squad chosen by the selectors provides us, I believe, with thebuilding blocks for future success in both Test and One-Day cricket. I amgenuinely excited for the long term – although I know, and fans mustappreciate too – that the road ahead could be bumpy. Lets keep our eyesfixed on the major goal ahead, support the players and save judgment untilSouth Africa 2003.