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| Sunday, 1 June 2003 |
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New look Lankans to dent Lara's 'brave new world'! by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE It is Brian Lara's vision of a `brave new world for West Indian cricket' that Marvan Atapattu's Sri Lankan cricketers will be challenging this June.
As he headed a fairly new look Lankan outfit which took wing across to the West Indies yesterday, Atapattu was aware of the tall order facing his charges if Lara's vision is anything to go by. Which to succeed in defending a 3-2 one-day home series triumph in 2002, Atapattu's eve of departure rallying round plea themed for `our batsmen to come out of the difficulty they are going through.' Indeed, for both countries the 3-match one-day series starting on June 7 at Barbados culminating with a 2-Test series would in effect be equally significant. For it is at a new, lofty world both West Indian and Sri Lankan cricket is looking at from a backyard of experiencing transition periods, as much as one would differ from the other in comparison. Lara's words rode on the bliss of a historic West Indian victory over Steve Waugh's mighty Australians in the final Test chasing a record 418 in a fourth innings to signal the turn around in his country's cricket striving for over two decades to come out of the doldrums it slipped into from a giant image. For the record breaker, it was an achievement even greater than his world record breaking individual highest Test score of 375 at the same Antigua ground just after he had reclaimed the captaincy reigns of the team he shed over 3 years ago. Since, Lara's men have found the sunset on their back in the exchange of one-day fortunes already conceded to the Ricky Ponting's world champions 2-4 in an ongoing 7-match series. But, it is the transformation built around such a great as Lara symbolising the unmistakable revival of West Indian cricket in the wake of a formidable showing at the 2003 world cup that has awakened Atapattu and company. Of the gruelling task ahead of coming thumbs up on West Indian soil as Lankan cricket looks to come out of the shambles after a much criticised showing at the world cup despite making it to the semi-finals, being bundled out of a Sharjah triangular thereafter and more recently the humiliation of failing for the first time to reach the final of a home triangular won by New Zealand which has rubbed more salt. While Atapattu laughed off the head on collision he had with Lara in that Test match in Asgiriya last time around which laid down the West Indian for three months, Atapattu's rallying call to all his batsmen to come good for `us to strike a balance with the bowling and fielding which is on par now' sounded the urgency ahead where he will be confronting Lara captain to captain. "Lara is a great player. The world knows about it. We'll look into our side of things. To get things right on our side. For doing our homework is one way of matching the opposition", commented 32-year old Atapattu for whom it will be his first shy away leading his country. The captain's sentiments were shared by coach, Duleep Mendis when he said, "It is not going to be easy by any means. Even in the world cup the West Indians were good although they lost. They now have a strong batting line-up in a team which took a few years to build-up. West Indian cricket is certainly on a high." Words which best underscore Lara's new world. But Mendis, who said that this would most certainly be his last stint as coach of the national team after which `I want to go back to my neglected development work at the Cricket Board', sounded that the crying need of the hour from his team was to lift up their standard of playing for Sri Lanka to beat the West Indies in supplementing a bowling attack where he felt spin would do the trick on tracks which might be a bit different to the slow ones that were prepared against Australia. Above all, the batsmen needed to take more responsibility and imbibe confidence because cricket was all about confidence. Of which the captain was realistic of having to rise tall as never before with the bat, the form of which `I was not been very pleased with during the recent home triangular.' "But at Dambulla the wickets were not that conducive to batting and I hope to be among the runs", voiced the copybook strokemaker who peaked with some telling knocks during the world cup opening the batting. But a position, he told the `Sunday Observer' he would pass on to the hard hitting wicket-keeper batsman, Romesh Kaluwitharana. Asked as to whether he was pleased the way Kaluwitharana had batted in the recent triangular, Atapattu replied, "Having a whack at the ball is the way Kaluwitharana is used to batting. I think I'll opt for him again because he and Sanath (Jayasuriya) were a pair which once brought a big difference opening batting." The bowling department, despite not having the services of that hurtler of the ball, Dilhara Fernando, who is sidelined by a lingering backache relating to his delivery action, held content to both captain and coach in that Prabath Nissanka had emerged as a willing worker with the new ball. But Atapattu voiced concern as to Dilhara's career which he said could get worse if he does not change his bowling action on medical advice. "We'll certainly miss someone like Dilhara. He has bowled so very well for us. The x'rays look okay. What I understand is that Dilhara has been told by the doctors to change to a more side on action. At delivery point the upper body is said to be facing forward resultantly pulling that area and the feet to two sides which is said to affect his back", he explained. Meanwhile, the fitness of the players which Mendis conceded had receded in recent tournaments, had seen an improvement. "There was a drop in fitness during the world cup. But it tends to drop during the latter stages of a tour", reasoned the coach who said that drills based on modern technology had been applied to the fielding curriculum in a rigorous regimen. And the `Sunday Observer' posed the question to both captain and coach as to the continued omission of Upul Chandana, who went matchless once again despite making the 12, which has become the talking point among fans right upto the man on the street. Atapattu,"If we had made it to the final he (Chandana) would have been a serious contender for a place. The matches were hit by rain and we changed teams from time to time. Of course I must say that in a squad every player is a specialist." Mendis, "I think this is a good tour for him to reclaim his place. The way he is bowling at practices as to his attitude and approach in performance has definitely changed where he gives the ball more variation. His batting was always there. He is a player who could give about 30 runs and as a fielder he is a class act." As to the Test series ahead, the first of which starts on June 17, Mendis said that the drawn series against the New Zealanders who had played negative cricket, was satisfying a lead up to meeting the West Indies when Sri Lanka will defend a 2-1 series win. "What can you expect from a side averaging from 1.5 to 1.7 runs an over and playing for a draw as was evidenced in the first Test when New Zealand batted. If both sides are going for a result it is good. In the circumstances we played well." Test captain, Hashan Tillekeratne, when contacted, said that he was very pleased with the team's performance and his own form on which he rode to a century in the first Test to cap his entry to the firmament as captain. "I'm looking forward to the series. The squad will be named after a trial match", Tillekeratne said. The one-day squad: Marvan Atapattu (capt.), Mahela Jayawardene (v. capt.), Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Prabath Nissanka, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Dharshana Gamage, Naveed Nawaz, Dinusha Fernando. |
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