Cricket selectors show daring

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

The Sri Lankan selectors have have shown daring and included newcomers Shamindra Eranga and Seekugge Prasanna in a squad of 16 to face Australia in the coming Three Test series with the First Test beginning in Galle next Wednesday.

Eranga and Prasanna performed well in the limited over games against the Aussies and this has prompted the selectors to give them continuity.

Eranga is a right arm pacie who has good control and who has the ability to move the ball both ways and trouble the batsmen as he showed in the limited over games. He should prove good support for Suranga Lakmal and Chanaka Welagedera who are likely to share the new ball. But his playing will depend on whether the selectors will want to go in with pace.

Indications are that the Lankans will want to go in spin heavy as the wicket in Galle has been known to favour spin. Leg spinner Prasanna with his accuracy and vicious spin should add variety to the attack. But will the selectors dare and play him is the question.

The selectors have named a squad of 15 and the final playing eleven will be known only after a look at the wicket before the Test.

The 16 man squad: Tillekeratne Dilshan (capt), Tharanga Paranavithana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardeana, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardena, Angelo Mathews, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Chamara Welagedera, Dhammika Prasad, Shamindra Eranga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Seekugge Prasanna and Ajantha Mendis.