Lankans leave exuding confidence

This is an exciting time for Sri Lankan cricket : a new and dashing captain in Tillekeratne Dilshan leading a team that is spiked with refreshing young talent that blends nicely with a cadre of experienced hands, as they take on a English team hungry to stage a good fight.

As the squad take wing tomorrow to England, they exude confidence to contest a Three-Test series, Five one-day international series and a solitary Twenty20 game. And a promise to come back triumphant.

Although unavoidable circumstances deprived them of flying out as a squad, the Lankans will be together when the second practice game against the England Lions comes around beginning in Derbyshire on May 19.

The new skipper has got across the message to every member that he expects the best and nothing but the best. He has told them that all differences should be forgotten and that it is the good name of the country that is at stake.

And in the circumstances every individual must perform. He has also told them that England under the clever leadership of Andrew Strauss and playing in their back yard are determined to give continuity and build on their resounding success when they beat Australia in the Ashes series down under. And that the Sri Lankan team will be equal to the task.

Varying conditions

The tour is as challenging as it is exciting. Sri Lanka has yet to win a Test series against England in England. If the Lankans play as we know they can, and if they can quickly acclimatize to the cold and the varying batting conditions we can be more than a force that the Brits can reckon with.

In England and on their wickets the ball tends to pitch and move both ways and batting would not be that easy. Against the moving ball, technique is what is required. Getting in line and playing straight is of utmost importance.

Watching our batters in the Indian Premier League, it has been noticed that there has been a array, if not a preponderance, of cross batting being indulged in. Twenty20 cricket where scoring off every ball is important has gone to force even the most technically correct batsman to hit across the line.

Fortunately Sri Lanka Cricket did well in signing on former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu as batting coach. Atapattu has been known to always offer the full face of the bat to the ball and rarely did he cross bat.

Exercise in futility

As batting coach it will be an exercise in futility if he attempts to show the batters how to play the cut, the hook, the defence and all other strokes connected with batting. The fundamentals in batting should have been taught by the coaches when in junior level.

While asking the batters to forget the cross bat shots, he will do well to show and tell them how to play and what to do in situations. Atapattu with his tremendous experience should be an asset on the tour and it will be interesting to see how he goes.

As for bowling coach former Sri Lanka hit man Champaka Ramanayake, getting the bowlers, especially the seamers to pitch the ball up, where they will be able to extract late movement in English conditions will be his top priority job.

During his time, Ramanayake was a master of seam and swing. He did not attempt to be a tearway fast bowler, but concentrated on good control, fine line and length and late movement in and off the wicket.

Clever bowling

In addition to his clever bowling, he also showed good technique with the bat. But surprisingly neglected his batting which if allowed to blossom could have made him one of the best allrounders going in the game at that time.

Fielding coach Ruwan Kalpage, unfortunately had to play second fiddle to his former school mate Muttiah Muralitharan and could not cement his place in the national squad as an off spinning allrounder.

But while his batting and bowling was formidable, it was his brilliant fielding that caught the eye. A brilliant fielder can earn a place in any team. And Kalpage had this all important requirements. But Muralitharan's presence stalled his progress. Incidentally Kalpage's father Sena was a superb left arm medium pace bowler playing for Nalanda in the 1960s. When I captained St. Benedict's College in 1960, I had the opportunity of playing against Senaka when the National Schools team under former Nalandian and Saracens Captain and dashing batsman Shanti Peiris were readying to tour Australia.

Great success

And now to stand in Sri Lankan coach and former Australian right handed batsman Stuart Law. Law playing in the colours of Queensland batted with great success and it was not long when he walked into the Australian team.

Unlike his predecessor Trevor Bayliss who did not have credentials of sporting national colours, but only playing for New South Wales, Law has the credentials that will earn him the respect from the Sri Lankan cricketers.

Law has tremendous experience playing in the county scene in England and he is in the excellent position to tell and show, especially the young bucks in the Lankan team how to adjust and play in English conditions, especially in the early part of the summer which could be very cold.

With Sri Lanka Cricket shopping for a foreign coach, Law if he can turn things around in England, can stake a strong claim to be the next permanent coach of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Cricket Chairman and former Sri Lanka captain D.S.de Silva and his efficient band of men in the Interim Committee will not bat an eyelid to make Law the lawful coach of Sri Lanka cricket.

Selector on tour

Chairman of Selectors Duleep Mendis will accompany the team as selector on tour. Mendis' a popular figure who was a dashing batsman during his time will be remembered by English cricketers and supporters. A former captain, he will be of immense value to Captain Dilshan and the team with his storehouse of knowledge. His appointment as chairman of selectors was the best thing that could have happened to the game here.

While in England, Mendis will sure recall the life threatening moment when Aussie speedster Jeff Thompson felled him with a lightning like bouncer in a World Cup match in 1975.Not only Mendis, but also opener Sunil Wettimuny suffered at the hands of Thompson. Then as a fearless batsman and belligerent stroke player he was unfortunate to miss scoring twin hundreds in a Test against England at Lord's in 1984. He made 110 and when well set for another hundred lost his wicket to Ian Botham.

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