Atapattu to strengthen Sri Lanka team

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from New Zealand

CRICKET: Marvan Atapattu, the former Sri Lanka captain, who has had surgery on his troublesome back, and who has now recovered, arrived in New Zealand on Tuesday afternoon to add muscle to the Sri Lanka team in their bid to dump the Kiwis in the Twenty 20 and the One-day Internationals.

Atapattu was quickly into the nets at the Wellington Cricket Academy, as the unpredictable Wellington weather again reared its head and did not allow the Lankans practise out in the centre at the Basin Reserve in preparation for their Twenty 20 game on Friday at the Westpac Stadium. Atapattu faced the media and gave his thoughts on the Twenty 20 game.

Cricket is becoming more and more commercial these days. In my opinion this is to attract crowds among other things. It is of short duration and the administrators think that it is meant for more spectators to come and see some big hitting.

It's very important that we have experience when it comes to crunch situations in these games. I feel I have done a pretty decent job. You need someone who can come in the last 10-15 overs and either rotate the strike or go for big shots and it's a challenge.

My back is ok, but it's not like what it was. I went through surgery. It's getting better and better and definitely much better than what it was a couple of months back.

I'll take game by game at the moment. For me the next day is not certain.

I don't know what would happen if I break down. There are no guaranteed places for anyone in the side. You need to keep performing to be in the side. No one can take his place in the side for granted.

I am not thinking too far ahead because of the situation I am. What matters to me at the moment is the next game and how I prepare for it. There's too much of talk about the World Cup at the moment, but I think we need to assess things tour by tour.

There's far too much of time left before the World Cup I feel, but everyone is talking about the World Cup in the Caribbean.

Atapattu too was in a similar situation like that of Chamara Silva when he made two dreaded ducks on his debut.

I never thought of captaining the country when I got those two ducks.

All the credit to selectors for the way they handled Silva. After he got the pair, it would have been very easy for the selectors to drop him. But they did well to give him another go and look at what he did and what a find he has been. I know how hard it feels when you get a pair.

Sometimes you'll have to wait for months to get another chance and it can be pretty hard. At that point each and every one attempts to be a cricket guru,all in good faith and tell you various things, where you went wrong etc and you don't want to do.

What to pick up and what not to. Time and time again you have to face situations like, said Atapattu who is looking forward to a great series against the Kiwis and then to an even better one in the World Cup next year.

Wellington Cricket Academy, Wednesday