Selectors look to the future

Dav Whatmore National Coach

The Sri Lankan squad picked for the forthcoming Coca Cola Cup provides an indication of the increasing and welcome importance attached to medium pace all rounders by the national selectors as we look towards the 2003 World Cup.

There are five pace bowlers in the squad, including two talented all rounders - Dulip Liyanage and Suresh Perera - who have been given a chance to resuscitate their international careers. The selectors deserve a pat on the back for giving them an opportunity and recognising the necessary ingredients for success in South Africa.

To be successful in South Africa we need to have considerable fast bowling resources and some of those bowlers must be able to bat. You only have to look at the success achieved South Africa to realise that conditions there are well suited these types of players. We must therefore familiarise ourselves with a new system and to do that we need to start experimenting now, not three-months prior to the tournament.

Wherever possible these types of players should be given a chance to play in the team over the next 18 months. The primary objective is always to win every game we play, but the long-term aim is to win the World Cup - we need to try to fuse both of these objectives together. There may be times, however, when we lose games along the way and that is fine as long as we all understand and share the common goal.

We're really glad to be welcoming back Suresh Perera, who is now back to full fitness after problems to his groin and back during the last two years. I think he has terrific potential. He is a three dimensional cricketer - just the type of player that we are looking for.

He is a lively fast medium bowler with an uncanny wicket taking ability; an excellent fielder, who runs like a rabbit and throws like a bullet; and an aggressive lower middle order batsmen, who has a high strike rate and a sound 'back and across' technique.

Like many of the bowlers, his bowling action has undergone process of evaluation by Rumesh Ratnayake, our fast bowling coach, and Terry Oliver from the Queensland Cricket Association. They identified areas for improvement and he is re-entering the squad having made modifications to his action. He performed impressively during the Pakistan A tour and lets hope he now grabs his opportunity in the senior side.

Dulip Liyanage last played in the Wills Quadrangular tournament in Pakistan in 1997/8. He has had some injury problems to his ankles and knees, but has worked himself back to full fitness. Indeed he is extremely dedicated to his fitness - he is probably the hardest worker amongst the fast bowlers.

His efforts have paid off. After a disappointing Premier League Limited Overs tournament he came back into international contention after an impressive first class season for Colts CC, in which he grabbed 38 wickets and averaged 22.7 with the bat. Indeed it is his batting that has elevated him above the other competition. Being 29 years old he also has some experience, which will come in useful.

Chamara Silva and Avishka Gunawardene have also earned themselves recalls after performing well on the Pakistan A tour. Chamara last played in Shajah against Pakistan in 1999/0, but he is still just 21-years-old. He went through a bit of a trough after his first run in the side and perhaps suffered too from a lack of opportunity.

A quiet young man, he is an intelligent batsmen and a busy player, who is able to mix attacking and defensive shots well, and is lightening between the wickets. He is also an excellent fielder in the inner circle - possibly our best.

Gunawardene is as destructive a batsman as we have in Sri Lanka and hits the ball with incredible power. He deserved another chance after a string of impressive performances against Pakistan. Last time he played in a triangular tournament in Sri Lanka, against South Africa and Pakistan, he was a real asset to the side.

The players to have been left out can count themselves unlucky - competition for places is very tough. Indika de Saram and Tillakaratne Dilshan have been slightly out of form recently and have failed to cement their places in the side - it is only fair then that others are given a chance. They just need to keep working on their games because I'm sure there still in the frame.

Thilan Samaraweera is desperately unfortunate. He did everything asked of him in the Test and ODI series against Pakistan and continues to put a lot of pressure on the selectors. In the end, however, Kumar Dharmasena was given the nod because of his experience and good performances in recent times.

Akalanka Ganegama did very little wrong, but he remains a very promising young player. In the end the need for fast bowling all rounders meant that he had to give way. Nevertheless, it is comforting to note that we now have a really talented pool of fast bowlers that can hopefully lead us to World Cup success.