Finishing their overs on time will be one of the topics that will be discussed at length by Sri Lanka ahead of Friday’s must-win clash against Bangladesh of the Nidahas Trophy tournament. Sri Lanka’s captain Dinesh Chandimal is banned from the game after failing to finish the 20 overs in time and will miss Friday’s clash.
[rev_slider LOLC]
Slow over rates has been a problem for Sri Lankans as in the last 10 months, this is the third time the captain has been suspended. Upul Tharanga was banned for two games during Champions Trophy after a slow over rate offence. He repeated the offence in August during the bilateral ODI series against India and was banned for further two games and faced six to eight-match suspension, if the offence was repeated again from the time of his first offence. Tharanga was axed as Sri Lanka’s white ball captain after a 5-0 series whitewash to Pakistan in October.
Sri Lanka’s Chairman of Selectors Graeme Labrooy said that the issue was a concern and has to be addressed immediately. The latest offence happened during Sri Lanka’s five-wicket defeat to Bangladesh on Saturday where they failed to bowl 20 overs within the stipulated 85 minutes.
“There seems to be too many discussions going on out in the middle. The game obviously went to the wire and the captain and senior players were discussing strategy and what to do. It is not a case of the bowlers took more time to finish the 20 overs, but the umpires and Match Referee had pointed out that we were taking more time in discussing strategy,” Labrooy told Cricbuzz.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers are thin on experience and seemed to be cracking under pressure. The hosts have kept fast bowler Lasith Malinga out of the equation although he has shown good form in domestic cricket. Malinga was the highest wicket-taker in the just concluded SLC Twenty-20 tournament where his 17 wickets at 11:35 helped Nondescripts Cricket Club for the title.
Sri Lanka need to win Friday’s clash to qualify for Sunday’s final.
