Twenty-20 here we come

In a couple of days time, the International Cricket Council's much hyped World Cup Twenty20 limited over cricket tournament will start with a startling change from what we are used to: the cowboys, the cricketers in coloured clothing, the umpires who are the judges in black, the sight screen also in black and the balls white.

The cricketing rodeo will all be lit up and once the umpires call play, the carnival begins with the cowboys shooting from the hip with no questions asked.

Cricket fans will go berserk. They will beat and blow all the sound making instruments, not worried of distracting the batsmen and umpires . And the commentators will brag and gloat on all what is good in this style of game.

The ICC Apostles, officials and all those involved in prompting and propagating this style of game which spins in the mega dollars, not worried that this style corrupts the younger generation of cricketers will, in the comfort of their air conditioned boxes, have one helluva of a ball

Necessary evil

Anyway one has to live with this necessary evil. The hosts

Sri Lanka who have been preparing meticulously in their attempt to win this trophy that has eluded them since its inception.

Sri Lanka under Kumar Sangakkara entered the final against Pakistan in the second version in England. With no malice to Tillekeratne Dilshan, it must be said that it was his irresponsible stroke - the 'Dilscoop' early in his innings against Mohammed Aamer which was a scoop for no score that started the slide and led to defeat. In the inaugural bash, India who showed their dislike for this style of ball game and were reluctant to indulge in, but finally succumbed to pressure, won the trophy much to their surprise. England who gave to the world what the game is all about -Test cricket- and who have still to win the 50-over World Cup, celebrated when they pocketed the Twenty20 under all rounder Paul Collingwood in the Caribbean in the last tournament.

Opener on Tuesday

Sri Lanka and Zimababwe who are in Group C along with South Africa will signal the opener on Tuesday at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Sooriyawewa which tourney will conclude with the final on Sunday, October 7 at the R.Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene was oozing with confidence, as he usually does at the first press conference, spoke on his team's chances and of the troopers under his command and what is expected from them.

Cheerful and ever smiling Jayawardene is one of the finest cricketing brains going in the scene. He has been in this hot set previously and he knows the agony a captain endures when losing and the ecstasy a captain enjoys in triumph.

With a shrewd cricketing brain, he is able to read the strategy and the movements of his opponents quicker than most other captains do. He cultivates a good rapport with all his team mates and they will play from out of their skins for him.

From the book

As a batsman he has modelled his play from the book. His strokes, the cover drives, the late cut and the drives on the V are from the top drawer. His superb timing once ball strikes bat sends the ball like a rocket to the boundary.

His fielding, especially in the slip cordon has been excellent. His hawk-eyed and the snicks whether they come hard or slow are gulped by him with consumate ease. One catch that he will treasure was the one he clung on to in Galle to give Muttiah Muralitharan his 800th wicket.

Jayawardene spoke on the high expectations of the team, especially because they are playing at home. He is aware that excuses however good are unacceptable once in the big league. Cricket crazy fans here who will outnumber the visitors from abroad will be baying for a Sri Lankan victory in every game and venting their spleens cheering and encouraging the cricketers.

Lustily cheered

Every hit made, every catch taken, every stop made and every wicket captured will be lustily cheered. The Sri Lankans in addition to their prowess with the bat and ball are exceptionally brilliant fielders and can be an example.

He spoke on the luxury of having all rounders in his side. Vice

Captain Angelo Mathews, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulesekera and Jeevan Mendis. Shamindra Eranga also has all round ability in him. All rounders don't come dime a dozen and Jayawardena is fortunate to have an abundance of them in his team.

Mathews, Dilshan, Perera, Kulesekera and Mendis are all performers.

They will have to shore a great responsibility and have it in them to deliver and see the team to success. The Sri Lankan batting line-up is very strong and there is a school of thought that advocates the opening of batting with the ball bashing Thisara Perera. They base their argument that Perera being sent in with an over or two to go is a waste of scoring power.

Enterprising

Others argue about opening with Angelo Mathews or for Jayawardene to slot in. Young, enterprising and the forceful Dilshan Munaweera who showed his capabilities in the SLPL final would also come into the picture.

All these suggestions are made by cricket fans who would like to see Sri Lanka winning. Captain Jayawardene,his co-selectors and coach Graham Ford will do the permutations and choose the horses for courses.

The big scoring left hander Kumar Sangakkara has recovered well and will bat at the all important position of one drop and take his rightful position behind the stumps. In limited over cricket he is indispensable behind the wickets. He will have to bat with a lot of responsibility. The effervescent batting ace Dinesh Chandimal, if he plays must make it his business to score. He is highly talented and it is time that he realized it. He is also a safe wicket keeper.

Capable hands

The new ball will be in the capable hands of Nuwan Kulesekera who should be fit come match time and Thisara Perera with Angelo Mathews who is not showing any signs of his previous injuries that kept him out of bowling.

It will be interesting to see who will do the tweaking. It is only a showman or the ignorant who will want to predict how the wickets will play. But sub continent wickets are spin favourable and the majority of times could see teams going in spin heavy and even opening bowling with spinners.

What would have warmed Jayawardene is the return to full fitness and into the squad of mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis. Mendis surprisingly went missing from the radar and like his spin when he would come back was a mystery.

Precision deliveries

He showed that he has not lost any of his mystery with the ball given the manner in which performed in the SLPL. His stealth, cunning and precision deliveries could baffle the best of batsmen and together with left arm tweaker Rangana Herath could form a vicious combination if Jayawardene decides to go in spin heavy. The three stadiums - The Mahinda Rajapaksa, the R.Premadasa and the Pallekele International cricket stadiums that were held to ridicule and scorn when they were being rebuilt to international standard will be in the news again. If these stadiums were not redeveloped and built for the holding of the 2011 World Cup, this Twenty20 World Cup would not have come to Sri Lanka. Former Cricket Board Media Manager Bran Thomas did right in paying a glowing tribute to former Interim Committee Chairman D.Somachandra de Silva in a newspaper article. Thomas who worked closely with de Silva revealed what a worried man de Silva was till the completion of the three stadiums. De Silva was like a will 'o the wisp at Sooriyawewa, Grandpass or Pallekele personally seeing to the work going on. And like in the words of that perennial by Frank Sinatra de Silva can sing - I faced it all and I stood tall and did it MY WAY. De Silva is Deputy Ambassador in Poland.

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