The young players should rise up and perform - Manager
Tissera
by Ranjan Anandappa
Sri Lanka skipper Marvan Atapattu will have to undergo a final Test on
April 17 to a certain his fitness for the forty-day long cricket tour of
England from April 24 to July 1, 2006.
The team is scheduled to leave on April 20 to play a series of side games
and three Test matches and five one-day Internationals.
In fact, the entire squad will be subjected to a fitness test on the 17th
prior to their departure.
At the moment the players have earned a well-deserved break after
continuous cricket. Vice-captain Mahela Jayawardena has left for Dubai and
will be back on April 17, Tom Moody has already left for England to attend
to his father-in-law's funeral, and he will most probably join the team in
England with Trevor Penny who has also left for England. The rest of the
team members are with their families taking a short break and will be back
in business from Monday.
"Atapattu will have to prove his fitness and if he fails to do so, Mahela
will have to take over the reigns once again. If Atapattu doesn't make it
and with the retirement of Sanath Jayasuriya from Test cricket, the batting
will be hampered with the two most experienced opening pair out." said
Michael Tissera, the Manager of the team.
"Nothing could be done about it, Sanath announced his retirement from
Test cricket and the younger players should rise up to the occasion and
perform well."
The team has had little practice prior to taking wing to England, and a
yawning gap will be left wide open in the batting through the retirement of
Jayasuriya, and if Atapattu is declared unfit, it will be a big blow as
these two are the batsmen who have considerable experience of playing fast
bowling.
A big responsibility will be on Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara and
Tillkeratne Dilshan. The youngsters Chamara Kapugedera still to play in a
Test, Upul Tharanga, and Michael Vandort, could scarcely be expected to play
Test match bowlers in form in conditions new to them, unless the seniors
show them the way.
The team has five fastmen, namely, the two left armers Chaminda Vaas and
Nuwan Zoysa, allrounder Ferveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan
Kulasekera and the two spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and leg-spinner Malinga
Bandara. The majority of the players have played in England before.
"We will be playing at a time where the tendency of the ball is to seam
most.
Although the pitches help the seamers, they are pretty decent ones.
The bounce is even and if the batsmen could adjust themselves, there are
lot of runs for the making."
Sri Lanka squad: Marvan Atapattu (captain, subject to fitness), Mahela
Jayawardena (vice captain), Kumar Sangakkara, (wicket-keeper), Michael
Vandort, Upul Tharanga, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna
Jayawardena (additional wicket-keeper), Chamara Kapugedera, Chaminda Vaas,
Ferveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera, Muttiah Muralitharan,
Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Zoysa.
Match schedule: April 20 leave for the U.K., April 24-26 vs
British Universities, April 29 to May 1 vs Derbyshire, May 4-7 vs England
'A'.
May 11-15: First Test at Lords, May 18-21 vs Sussex, May 25-29
Second Test at Edgebaston, June 2-6 Third Test at Trent Bridge, June 9 vs
Essex, June 11 vs Somerset.
June 17: 1st One-day International,
June 20: Second ODI,
June 24: Third ODI,
June 28: Fourth ODI,
July 1: Fifth ODI,
July 2: Leave for Holland,
July 3: ODI vs Holland,
July 6: ODI vs Holland.
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