WORLD CUP T2O – PROPOSED SRI LANKAN  SQUAD
Posted on March 5th, 2016

BY M D P DISSANAYAKE

During the recently concluded Asia Cup T20, Sri Lanka won only one match  and that was against the UAE.   Victory was not convincing, winning by a meagre 14 runs. Bangladsh beat UAE by 51 runs, Pakistan beat UAE by 7 wickets and mighty India beat UAE by 9 wickets.  It was Lasith Malinga factor eventuated Sri Lanka success, as he took 4 wickets, otherwise Sri Lankan Cricket was destined for a funeral parlour.

Tissara Perera did not stand upto his much publicised reputation as an all rounder.  In the 3 matches played by him against Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, he had given 71 runs and taken 2 wickets.  In the two innings he batted, did score 21 runs.   He cannot be ranked as an all rounder, in comparison with other players in competing teams.

In T20 format, the concept of specialist batsmen is no longer an attractive, affordable  or  effective option.  Based on the pitch, and other conditions, the skipper must have at his disposal variety of players who could handle both bat and the ball in quick succession.  We propose the following squad of 15 players, recognising the all round skills (AR), for the upcoming World Cup:

AR BAT  BOWLER MF  ANGELO MATHEW

AR BAT  BOWLER RAM  CHAMARA KAPUGEDERA

AR BAT BOWLER   RAM  DANUSHKA GUNATILEKK

AR BAT  BOWLER RAOB DILSHAN TILEKRATNE

AR BAT BOWLER  RAOB SACHITHRA SENANAYAKE

AR BAT BOWLER SLA    MILINDA SIRIWARDENE

AR BAT BOWLER  LB  JEEVAN MENDIS

AR BOWLER RAFM  NUWAN KULASEKERA

BAT  KITHRUWAN VITHANAGE

BAT BOWLER RAOB  SHEHAN JAYASURIYA

BAT WK DINESH CHANDIMAL

BOWLER RAF DUSHMANTHA CHAMEERA

BOWLER RAF LASITH MALINGA

BOWLER RAFM  DAMMIKA PRASAD

BOWLER SLA  SPIN RANGANA HERATH

We wish courage and determination to Sri Lankan Team.

9 Responses to “WORLD CUP T2O – PROPOSED SRI LANKAN  SQUAD”

  1. mario_perera Says:

    Thank you MDPD for your interest in our cricket team.

    Having said that I must also state that it is a very dismal and hope-less topic. That we nearly lost to UAE sums the inglorious story.

    You have done your best to put together a team. You have no other choice but the ones imposed on you.

    To my mind there are some who should not be on your list at all. First and foremost Dilshan. He is 38 + and should be in retirement. He is a dog on a stack of hay, blocking the path to a young player. The other is Nuwan Kulasekara. Yet another is Rangana Herath. Nuwan and Rangana are in no way T20 stuff.

    You have very correctly assessed Thissara Perera. He is a lost cause.

    The only four names that should figure on your list are Mathews, Chameera, Chandimal and Milinda (Milinda as a batsman and NOT as an allrounder. Did you see how he was reduced to pulp yesterday?).

    The rest are dust bin stuff,

    I quite agree that the notion of specialized batsmen does not work for Sri Lanka. The top and middle order are totally uncertain. The lower order cannot hold a bat. The sad fact is that we cannot count on anyone to hold the team together in batting.
    For T20 cricket we need batsmen who can clear the rope with ease. None of ours has that ability.

    The bowling except for Chameera is punching bag stuff. They are all so ‘thrash-able’ as they hold no terrors whatsoever. No swing, no spin no nothing. the batsmen easily guage their pitch and bounce and then off they go ‘to the cleaners’.

    I am not criticizing you MDPD, you are a patriot and you did your best.

    Mario Perera
    Kadawata

  2. douglas Says:

    This failure is a PERENNIAL cultural problem. We achieve the highest set goals and completely forget the NEED to be ready for the FUTURE CHALLENGES. Once we won the World Cup and then started dwindling in achievements; but did not identify the NEED and HOW to set our targets for the FUTURE. I say this is a PERENNIAL CULTURAL problem, because that relates to all facets of our life- be it Political, Cultural, Social, Religious, Economical, Sports etc. We go frantic and overboard to spend time in jubilation and completely and conveniently forget the FUTURE. All this time we depended on Sanga, Mahela, Dilshan, Malinga, Herath, Tissara, Nuwan to name a few; but what did we do to get those experienced stalwarts in the game to BUILD a FOLLOW UP TEAM. Practically no planning as such for the FUTURE. So no wonder we get these results, even to secure a “Narrow” “VICTORY” over UAE. The Authorities who should have addressed this issue too got involved in “PLAYING POLITIC” and very well SECURED their FUTURE; but did not work towards securing the FUTURE for the game of Cricket. Hope this PERENNIAL CULTURAL PROBLEM will be changed after having EXPERIENCED the dismal failures.

  3. mario_perera Says:

    Douglas,

    You have hit the nail on the head. That is what it is: a PERENNIAL CULTURAL PROBLEM.

    You put it all in a nutshell when you wrote: “The Authorities who should have addressed this issue too got involved in “PLAYING POLITIC” and very well SECURED their FUTURE; but did not work towards securing the FUTURE for the game of Cricket.”

    Mario Perera
    Kadawata

  4. Dham Says:

    Douglas,
    “PERENNIAL CULTURAL PROBLEM” you put it perfectly.

    “We go frantic and overboard to spend time in jubilation and completely and conveniently forget the FUTURE. ”

    If you permit me to go into it further , “public jubilation” is natural. “Conveniently forget ” imply CORRPUPTION, it means, as you said , Political, Cultural, Social and Religious elements get involved where money is involved.
    This is where “YAHAPALANAYA” become imperative.
    But one group planned and attacked this beautiful term with the meaning “good governance” so that they can go killing spree and “robbing spree” in the future and the opposite group just used for their political comeback but never even tried to really work towards the real meaning of it, it means complete destruction of a noble operating principle.

    It means a lot to us, cricket is a minute part of it.

    Coming back to cricket, my salute to Sanga who retired at almost at the peak without much fuss. His partner should be praised for retiring from captaincy giving his friend a chance and his service to cricket.
    Jayasuriya withed too long.

    “PERENNIAL CULTURAL PROBLEM” destroyed a rare and talented bowler Dilhara Fernando. He did not get sufficient attention, help and encouragement but criticism, hate and political manipulation.

    Malinga is an extremely rare talent but a BAD personality and an icon of selfishness.

    Kulasekara too was a talent but again a too selfish individual ruining our cricket for a long time. He should have been sacked a long time ago. I suspect his ability and his integrity.

    Dilshan , the alleged rapist should have been put in jail in Zimbabwe if proven guilty, but was bailed out. He to was an extremely rare talent not managed well. However, now passed his prime and very surely involved in corruption and should not be considered.

    Herath, too was a rare talent but now passed his prime.

    Kapugedrara, again a talent not managed and did not achieve what he could and should not even be considered.

    I would like to go back to the team that beat India and shocked them recently but replace Kasun with Malinga and Dilshan replaced by Mathews. Kasun Rajitha must play. He was brutally sacked after 2 matches but continued well in Sri lanka.

  5. Dham Says:

    First name in the last paragraph shall be Dasun Shanaka, not Kasun.

  6. Ancient Sinhalaya Says:

    We had the best cricket coach in the world, Whatmore and surprise, surprise we got rid of him soon
    after the 96 world cup victory, typical Sri Lankan pattern. Don’t mend it if it’s not broken. Being Sri
    Lankan we can’t do anything without deshapaluwan meddling. So he was gone and now he has transformed
    a team at the bottom of world cricket to the top.

    We had a better team than 96 world cup winning team with the world’s top batsmen and world’s top bowlers.
    Got into number of finals, hardly won anything, some of them questionably. Top team no proper management.
    End result was nothing to show. It was a real shame when you had cricket legends Sangakkara, Mahela, Murali etc.
    still nothing to show. That’s Sri Lanka. Cricket is on the decline. Reason for that deshapaluwan meddling with it.
    We are not surprised at all. We don’t even watch the sport any more. No need to watch since we know the result.
    Thanks deshapaluwo.

  7. cassandra Says:

    In a piece just published, Ian Chappell, the former Australian captain has written to say:

    “The players crucial to T20 success are: a top three, all capable of quick-fire but substantial scores, a new-ball bowler who takes wickets at both ends of an innings, a spinner who buys wickets in the middle overs, finishing specialists with both bat and ball, and fielders who excel in catching, saving runs and hitting the stumps.

    They generally perform the starring roles and then you have the support players: the middle-order hitters who can deliver an over or two and field like demons, tidy bowlers who specialise in economy, and, last but by no means least, a competent keeper who can bat.”

    Ian Chappell knows his cricketing onions, and what he says is worthy of serious consideration. Of course, what he has described is what an ideal team should have in order to succeed in the T20 game, and one must wonder how many teams do in fact satisfy all the requirements he has stated. Some teams may come close. Importantly, however, how does the current SL T20 squad measure up against these requirements? Clearly, not too well; not too well at all. Right now, does the squad meet any of these requirements?

  8. DR M D P DISSANAYAKE Says:

    Dear Comrades

    After winning world cup, Whatmore demanded more money quite out of proportion. At that time SL was a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, WE DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE HIGHWAY, 40% the country not accessible to Sri Lankans. David wasn’t satisfied with Performance Related Incentive or Productivity Bonus. He wasn’t greatful to Sri Lanka even when no one else wanted David. Arjuna Ranatunga, a GREAT SRI LANKAN AT THAT TIME, could not stomach it. That was the end of both Whatmore and Great Arjuna. PERSONALLY I STILL LOVE ARJUNA, WHEN THE DUST SETTLES, ARJUNA WILL BE FOR SRI LANKA CRICKET. THERE IS NONE IN THE VICINITY.

    President Mahinda Rajapakse should have appointed Arjuna as Minister of Sports, but he could not trust him, which has now been proven that MR was right. So after the world cup of `1996, both Whatmore and Arjuna shot in their feet.

    IF ARJUNA DID NOT TAKE UP POLITICS,TODAY HE WOULD BE RANKED HIGHER THAN RANJAN MADUGALLE, ROSHAN MAHANAMA. IF NO ONE ELSE AGREES WITH ME, MRS SAMADARA RANATUNGA WILL BE.

  9. ranjit Says:

    Kulasekera and Tissara perera should be out from our national team.period because they boh let us down miserably in several occasions when we were about to win matches. Dilshan is still good but his reckless batting getting him out unnecessarily.
    First of all must ban the betting shops which ruins our games. Greediness is the cause of our downfall. Whether they won or lose they get their money so who cares about the country? Every time they lose they say SORRY and promise they will do better in the next game but they fail consistently. Shame for Sri lanka cricket.Politicians spoils this sacred game of ours. We need a good coach and a good captain to take us to the top again. Let’s hope a better team will come up before the world cup.

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