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Sunday, 8 November 2009

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We have done our home work- Sanga

Sri Lanka’s cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara is having his hands full rebuilding the team. The 32-year-old stylish left hand batsman says that he is aware that much more has to be done to have a world beating side. At the moment his focus is on the tour of India in November for 3 test matches, 5 ODIs and 2 Twenty/20 matches.

Following Sri Lanka’s recent defeats Sangakkara, the NCC player who got the captaincy a few months ago after his predecessor Mahela Jayawardane gave up the job, is of the view that it is a long term task of getting the ideal team. That would take times in finding specialist players for the batting and bowling departments with emphasis on fielding. Since Sangakkara became captain gradually steps have been taken in that direction. It is his view that young players have to be looked at for places considering their form.

Many such players, he says are tapping on the door for selection and are pressurising senior players. One of the best finds after Sanga took over the captaincy has been former St. Joseph’s all-rounder Angelo Mathews. Like Mathews, Sangakkara has now turned his eyes on young former Thomian Kaushal Silva, the Wicket-keeper batsman who has been selected for the month long tour of India. Sangakkara believes that Kaushal, who has shown superb talent behind the wickets and as a batsman for the Sri Lanka under-19 XI and Lanka ‘A’ XI, will win his Test cap on the Indian tour.

“Kaushal is a specialist wicket-keeper and batsman. So we are looking at him to keep wickets in the three test matches against India. He has also shown good potential as an useful batsman and that would boost the middle order,” said the Sri Lanka captain. He said that he would even look at the prospect of having Kaushal Silva open the batting with Tillekeratne Dilshan.

“But that will depend on how well Tharanga Paranavithana performs on tour,” said Sangakkara. Commenting on the recall of paceman Dilhara Fernando to the ODI team and batsman Chinthaka Fernando to the Twenty/20 squad, Sangakkara said that Dilhara had made it because he had got over his no ball problem while Chinthaka had been considered for some consistent performances with the bat on the domestic scene. Thilina Kandamby too would in all probability win a Test cap against India, according to the Lankan captain following some impressive performances at ODI level.

“Kandamby batted positively in difficult circumstances when the top order failed in the champions Trophy. A notable change in the one-day side would be veteran Sanath Jayasuriya having to give up his long time role of opening the batting for Sri Lanka.

“Instead, Sanath will be asked to but lower down the order to pollster the batting what is important is that he will be played mainly as a back up bowler to bowl his 10 overs,” said Sangakkara who explained that his aim was to set out a consistent batting plan. He said that in the fielding department new fielding coach Gavin Fingelson, a former baseball player had done much working with the squads to improve that area which had notably been poor during the champions Trophy.

With 20 Test centuries and 32 half centuries to his credit from 85 matches and 10 ODI tons and 49 half tons from 257 matches Sangakkara, who has earned a reputation as one of the world’s top batsmen, will himself be focusing on regaining his old form following a recent poor patch including the champions Trophy.

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