Jayasuriya, Vaas in line for 2011 World Cup

In these time when memories are short, it would certainly have warmed the hearts of supporters of Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas to learn that their cricketing credentials will not be forgotten when picking the final squad of 15 for the 2011 World Cup time comes around.

At a press brief the other day, Chairman of Selectors, the former mercurial batting sensation and captain Aravinda de Silva who is in the illustrious company of those having scored a century in the World Cup, said that Jayasuriya would be considered as a specialist batsman and Vaas as an opening bowler.

De Silva's forthright stroke may not have been to the liking of some. But the fact remains that when it comes to the crunch, experience is vital to steer the ship, take it to calmer waters and then to its final port of call - World Cup 2011.

Commitment

Jayasuriya and Vaas have on several occasions proved their worth delivering with both bat and ball and bringing victory to the Lankans when games seem to be lost. They still have the urge, commitment and determination to serve game and country and that potential needs to be unleashed.

Their names in the team list will certainly cause worry in the opposite camp, because their opponents are well aware what terminators they can be once they get their acts going.

Jayasuriya can be devastating with the willow. His confidence must be a bit low having not had the feeling of runs flowing from his bat as usual. One good knock and then the strokes will cascade and the runs will flow like the Mahaweli in spate.

Early wickets

Vaas too needs a couple of early wickets to spit venom on opposing batsmen. In addition he makes clever use of the new ball, and has the much needed ability to force a run drought and make batsmen struggle for runs.

Of late he has shown his batting talents. This he proved on the recent fling the county scene in England where he put many a bowler to the sword, scoring heavily and helping his county go places.

So the mere inclusion in the provisional squad of 30 from which the final 15 will be picked to take Sri Lanka's challenge in the next World Cup should give Jayasuriya and Vaas the impetus to practice assiduously, perform and cock a snook at their detractors.

India favourites

India, winners of the 1983 World Cup in England will go out hot favourites to win their second World Cup when the 2011 World Cup is played in the sub continent.

They gave indications of what could be expected from them and how strong and competent they are in every aspect the way they thrashed the New Zealanders in making a clean five-nil sweep in the series just concluded in India.

The Indian triumph was all the more great and satisfying because they decided to wisely keep some of their big names and regulars out and blood a set of youngsters who obliged.

When it comes to picking their final squad of 15 for the 2011 World Cup they will have a surfeit of talent at their disposal and the selectors who will be the cynosure of all eyes will have an unenviable job to perform.

Experience

But the Indian selectors are all in their positions due to their tremendous experience in the game, They know what their job is and when they sit, the cricketers and their legion of supporters are assured of a job well done with the best fighters picked without fear or favour.

India remembers the calamity that was the previous World Cup in the Caribbean when the Indians who left with big hopes tumbled out of the tourney unable to make progress beyond the preliminaries.

That misfortune was predicated even before the squad took wing to the Caribbean. That was because from the moment former Australian skipper Greg Chappel took over the cracks began to appear.

Chappel was like a little boy lost when it came to coaching the highly talented Indian cricketers led by Rahul Dravid. He did not have his ear to the ground realities and his chopping and changing finally led to Indian cricket being shamed the manner in which they went out of the tournament.

Cursing

During Chappel's reign, even the former players who were instrumental in giving the former Australian the job were cursing and fuming in silence the way Chappel was performing his job.

But after the Chappel ill wind blew over, the Board of Control for Cricket in India acted quickly and slotted in former South African champion opening batsman Gary Kirsten who has set about doing this onerous job with great professionalism.

If the manner in which the Indians are now performing and if they can maintain this crushing form and unless the unforeseen happens - considering that cricket is a funny game - then Mahendra Singh Dhoni is well on the way to proudly lofting the 2011 World Cup to the joy of their millions of cricket mad countrymen to whom the game is religion.

Bangladesh too proving a threat

The gutty Bangladesh cricketers too will prove a threat in the 2011 World Cup and will not be easy beats if the form they showed in disposing off the Zimbabweans in the one-day series in Bangladesh is also an indication.

Coached by former Aussie batsman Jamie Siddons, they have a set of talented cricketers who seem to be well versed in playing the limited over style. At home they will be more than force to be reckoned with and have the ammunition to shoot down famed opponents.

They were given the all important impetus to perform, when the country's President and the Cricket Board showered on them gifts after they clean swept the New Zealanders.

Since that epoch making victory against the New Zealanders, Bangladesh cricket is on the up and up and if they continue with the same commitment and determination, then they will be more than also played in the next World Cup.

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