Sri Lanka a sad loss

Sri Lanka lost their match to Pakistan, when the team was selected of course they had won their previous matches with virtually the same team, but the cracks were beginning to show, although the selectors failed, or chose, to notice them.

What has a player got to do, or not do, to be dropped from the team? Chamara de Silva was certainly no batting success, yet he kept his place in the team! Udana met with some success, but he was not ready for the big time yet. No doubt, his time will come. Meanwhile, Kulasekera, a fine bowler and a good all-rounder, and Maharoof, another good all-rounder, languished on the bench. If these two had been playing, Sri Lanka would be T20 World Champions today.

Sangakkara has the making of a sound captain, but he diced with death too often, with some of his unorthodox changes. Some of his bowling changes and order of batting, were inexplicable. Why did Sangakkara send Mubarak in at one down, when he himself was a regular in the position? why did Mubarak, Chamara and Even Udana, precede Matthews in the batting order? Matthews had proved himself previously and did so again in the final. Matthews would be ideal as a No. 3 down batsman, Udana had proved expensive in previous matches, and was so again in his first three overs of the final, yet Sangakkara gave him a fourth over, at a vital stage, which cost Sri Lanka the match. There were other and better bowlers with overs to spare, but they were ignored, 44 runs in 4 overs tell their own story!

The nucleus of the team is good, but more all-rounders required, specially for T20 cricket, it would appear that it is more difficult, to get out of the Sri Lanka cricket team, than to get in it! Not only does the team need to be changed, but the selectors too. Someone should select the selectors!!

Dion J. Walles.

Colombo 6.