Sri Lankan cricket hierarchy over the years has used unorthodox players to devastating effect just at the right time. They had decided long before the 1996 World Cup to use explosive openers Romesh Kaluwitharana and Sanath Jayasuriya, but implemented it just before the tournament and the ploy paid off.
Similarly, they resisted introducing Lasith Malinga and unleashed him in Australia during Sri Lanka’s tour of 2004.
Ajantha Mendis is another case in point. He was unplayable during the 2008 Asia Cup and the Indians, who generally play spin well, were clueless against him in the final.
The latest to this list will be chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan. The 23-year-old was named in Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for the current series against England and he is in the pool of 30 players shortlisted for the 2015 ICC World Cup. Sandakan is yet to make his debut and Angelo Mathews says the team will use him at the right time.
“He is one of our options for the World Cup. No one has seen him and he looks a very good prospect,” said the Sri Lankan captain. “He’s got so many variations of his own. He lands it in the right spot – his accuracy is quite good for his age. We’re not afraid to give him the opportunity.”
Sri Lanka’s selectors have waited patiently and Sandakan could turn out to be a crucial piece in the jigsaw for the Sri Lankans during the World Cup. “He was in the system, but he hasn’t played that many games in the first-class arena,” added Mathews. “We thought that he has some kind of mystery in him. We didn’t wait for the last moment, but we will wait for the right time – and that can be the last moment as well. He looks like a brilliant prospect.”
Last season, Sandakan had a superb outing for CCC finishing as the highest wicket-taker, an effort that won him the best bowler award. He finished with 54 wickets at 19:14.
Chinaman bowlers are rare in cricket as this style of bowling is difficult to control. South Africa’s Paul Adams and Australia’s Bradd Hogg are two chinaman bowlers to emerge in recent times while Sir Gary Sobers too bowled chinaman.
What makes Sandakan special is his control. He also bowls a googly and in domestic cricket last season some very good players of spin panicked while playing him. Sandakan’s talent was first identified by his school coach Sanjeewa Mendis. He was playing school cricket for Karunaratne Vidyalaya in the outskirts of Colombo and Mendis recruited him to St. De Mazenod College, where he developed.
“Why he is so good is that he bowls the googly without changing the action. He has flummoxed many famous names over the years,” Mendis tells gocricket.com. “Actually he turns the googly more than his stock delivery and that confuses batsmen. He has quite a bit of variations as well and bowls a good flipper. I have found that batsmen often get confused and they start thinking twice and fall into traps.
“He is a guy who has lot of confidence. A good bowler should be able to bounce back after being hit and Sandakan doesn’t mind getting hit. He knows he is good enough to have the last laugh. He is also a useful batsman having batted for us at No 5 in school cricket.”
Sandakan has already got a taste of international cricket. He played in the Champions League T20 representing Southern Express this season, and in the game against Lahore Lions troubled both Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez.
Although Sandakan is yet to represent the country, his reputation at domestic level has given Sri Lankan fans new hopes about the World Cup after their enthusiasm hit a low following the recent whitewash in India.
Spin bowling has been one of Sri Lanka’s strongest fortes over the years, but their spin bowlers have struggled in international cricket in recent times. Left-arm orthodox bowler Rangana Herath is an exception, but at 36, he has struggled with his fitness having undergone surgery on both knees.
Offspinner Sachithra Senanayake’s action was declared illegal and although he has resumed his career having remodelled his action, selectors will wait and see how effective Senanayake is at present. Ajantha Mendis has lost his spark and is a liability on the field. With many question marks over the spin bowling department, Sandakan has given the Sri Lankans renewed hope.
