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| Sunday, 26 January 2003 |
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Sri Lanka has evolved new strategy - Duleep Mendis by Srian Obeyesekere For a country that has slid down the scales in a game it once breathed new life into, Sri Lanka is yet hopeful of bouncing back, come the mega event. Back home from Australia last Thursday for just 7 days with their families before taking wing for South Africa on January 31 Friday, there was quiet optimism within. Raising expectancy was the man who invented that innovation of hitting over the top Duleep Mendis. Now Adviser to the team, Mendis, who was captain from 1982 to `88, said the Lankans were confident enough of putting behind the defeats to mount their campaign to the eighth edition of the World Cup with a change of strategy. But Mendis fell short of stating what this would be while saying he was hopeful it was as good a one he evolved when Sri Lanka won the 1995-`96 World Cup. "It will be a bit different in the batting. It will be a matter of putting it into operation", said Mendis. "Right from the start of the South African tour upto the VB Triangular in Australia, we have been preparing for the World Cup. Some games didn't go well. Unfortunately we couldn't get into the VB finals. But we are satisfied that throughout we tried various combinations in the batting department," said Mendis who pointed out that the pivotal no. 3 slot looked sorted out in old horse Hashan Tillekeratne. " We brought in Hashan in the theory behind losing 3 wickets in the first 15 overs. But this could change depending on a solid start by the openers when Hashan would then take strike further down," said Mendis who was optimistic that the good side of the series was that 'fortunately the batting started clicking in the second round of the VB triangular. We now know what the combinations should be in South Africa'. Saying, "I always believed in incentives", Mendis looked at the incentives offered to the players from US & 15,000 for a win in the Pool matches to 1 per cent guarantee money for winning 3 matches in the Super Six, and the same amount each for a semi-final win as much for winning the final, as a motivating factor. Mendis was also on a high as to Sri Lanka banking on spin in a land where accent has been on pace and bounce. "We have the option of a 3-man combination in Muttiah Muralitharan, Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya to capitalise on spin depending on the opposition." But, he said it all depended on `how we start' adding that, "Other than Joburg, the wickets we will be playing outside are not so lively. So we will give emphasis to spin." He said that there would also be the option of 4 pacies and reducing one batsman, but added, "This seems remote since the bowling with 3 pacies and playing an extra batsman seemed to have come out well". As to the no-ball dilemma concerning star bowler, pacie Dilhara Fernando which had been a costly exercise on both tours, Mendis said,"We have been working on him. It so happens that he tries to put a little bit extra. But we are hopeful it could be sorted out on time. The difficulty for him has been that if he breaks his run up he cannot get the same length". With last week's hicups over a wages dispute between the players and the Cricket Board resolved by way of a 12 per cent flat fee from World Cup revenue in lieu of forefitting advertising rights of their choice, it will be buckling down to the serious business of cricket at its height. Sri Lanka meet New Zealand in their Group `B' opener on February 9 in Bloemfontein. The squad- S.Jayasuriya (capt.), M. Atapattu (V. Capt.), H.Tillekeratne, P. A. de Silva, M. Jayawardene, R. Arnold, K. Sangakkara, C. Vaas, M. Muralitharan, D. Fernando, P. Gunaratne, P. Nissanka, C. B. Fernando, A. Gunawardena, J. Mubarak. |
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