The upcoming tri-series in the West Indies is unlikely to create any major hype back home. For one, Sri Lanka has just come off an exciting yet ultimately disappointing Champions Trophy campaign.
For another, the matches all start at around 8 pm Sri Lankan time, so it is doubtful that they will garner many Lankan viewers burning mid-night oil. For the Sri Lankan team however, this is an important stepping stone in the journey to the 2015 World Cup.
This is a team under transition. Since Angelo Mathews was handed the captaincy and Sanath Jayasuriya appointed to lead the selection panel, they have made it clear that they will be focusing on bringing in youth to the team. The Champions Trophy may have been a bit of a distraction for these plans, but this series is ideal for the new faces to prove their cases for permanent spots in the lineup. Sri Lanka should consider themselves fortunate that their elder statesmen – the likes of Sangakkara, Jayewardene and Dilshan – are still around to guide the youngsters as they get used to the international scene; one needs only to look at the current Australian team to realize the problems caused when long-time superstars retire without adequate replacements to fill their shoes. However, it’s obvious that these three will not be around forever: Dilshan is in fact not playing this series due to injury, so while the sun may be setting on the older brigade, it leaves a massive opportunity for the youngsters to step up and prove themselves.
One major surprise in the squad is the replacement of Thisara Perera with Ajantha Mendis. Perera has been a fixture in the limited overs teams for quite a while now, but made only 15 runs in two innings in the Champions Trophy, and bowled eight overs for no wicket. Dilhara Lokuhettige, a similar type of all-rounder who was with the team in the UK without having played a match, will remain in the squad as they head to the Caribbean. Mendis has been increasingly regarded a Twenty20 specialist, and has not played an ODI for Sri Lanka since January. His inclusion means that Sri Lanka have a heavily fortified spin unit, with Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath and Jeevan Mendis also being in the squad. It is Sri Lanka’s pace battery that is looking somewhat depleted at the moment however, especially with Lasith Malinga not being at his deadly best. Nuwan Kulasekera has been dependable, and even excellent when the conditions help him swing the ball, but West Indies pitches are traditionally about pace and bounce, and the Lankans may find themselves missing a ‘hit the deck’ kind of bowler. The selectors have kept faith in Shaminda Eranga, who though not too impressive in England is a tad faster than the rest. His debut performances promised a player with great potential, Sri Lanka will be looking for him to deliver on it soon. More worrying than Eranga’s performance, however, is that there is no real competition for his spot in the lineup, leading to questions about the fast bowling talent available back home.
Another focal point will be the young batsmen in the lineup. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sanagakkara have shown that they’re in good form, but what the Lions really need is for the likes of Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne to come into their own and dominate proceedings. Perera in particular, needs a string of good scores, as his Champions Trophy campaign certainly did not showcase a batsman with a first class triple century to his name. Skipper Angelo Mathews is another who will be feeling some heat. Although he hit a fighting fifty in the semi final against India, he is yet to string together a consistent run of performances since taking over the reins. His tactics on the field have not been the most inspiring at times, but while that is something he can work on, lifting his individual performance may well be the catalyst needed to boost his captaincy as well. A crucial factor of these youngsters not stepping up to the mark is that it puts tremendous pressure on the big three; Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardena are never able to play their natural game and for most part of their careers they have been carrying this burden.
Sri Lanka do not face an easy task; India seem to be unstoppable lately, and Sri Lanka have never come close to beating them these days. The West Indies have home court advantage, along with some heavy hitters that can change the game in an instant. South Africa scheduled to arrive on a tour soon after as well and therefore it’s vital that every aspect of the team starts firing, and although the final outcome of this series is not likely to be remembered for long, it may have a significant impact on the long term composition of the team.
The series kicks off on the 28th when Sri Lanka face the hosts West Indies at Kingston.
The Squad
Angelo Mathews (c)
Dinesh Chandimal
Dilhara Lokuhettige
Shaminda Eranga
Rangana Herath
Mahela Jayawardene
Nuwan Kulasekara
Lasith Malinga
Ajantha Mendis
Jeevan Mendis
Kusal Perera (wk)
Kumar Sangakkara (wk)
Sachithra Senanayake
Upul Tharanga
Lahiru Thirimanne
