World Cup contestants name warriors who will go to cricketing war

With the prestigious 2015 World Cup cricket tournament drawing near by the day, all participating countries have named their warriors who will go to cricketing war in New Zealand and Australia next month.

Sri Lanka winners of the Blue Riband in 1995/'96 under Arjuna Ranatunga will open the tournament when they play one of the hosts of the tournament New Zealand, who have yet to win a World Cup since its inception in 1975.

As usual, all the squads picked by the participating countries have not been free of criticism by their media. That is not something unusual and selectors however good a job they do must be ready to duck and weave the poisoned darts aimed at them.

But to the credit of the selectors it must be said that they always endeavour to do a job to the best of their ability, pick players on merit without fear or favour, but yet leave themselves open to criticism.

Pity they missed the plane

As for the Sri Lanka squad, pity that talented players such as Kushal Janith Perera, Ajantha Mendis and Shamindra Eranga missed the plane. The selectors would have loved to push them in, but then only a certain number is allowed.

We would have loved to see Perera amongst the warriors. The selectors gave him all the opportunities, but luck was not with him and he failed to grab the opportunities and deliver.

Had he made it to the World Cup, and continued his blazing stroke play he certainly would have lit up the tournament with his fireworks with the willow, like did the now chairman of selectors Sanath Jayasuriya in World Cup won by Sri Lanka in Lahore, Pakistan.

As for us what baulked the young man was this. When he broke into the scene like a comet as did Jayasuriya, they labelled him a Jayasuriya clone. Being a left hander he had Jayasuriya written all over him, with the strokes he unleashed.

The Sanath Jayasuriya label

But having to live up to the Jayasuriya label, would have put the pressure on him, because every time he took strike, he was expected to hit the covers off the ball.

Had he made it to the World Cup and had he began to unleash, it would have been - Jayasuriya rides again - as did the 'Matara Mauler' or the 'Master Blaster' which helped him win the 'Most Valuable Player' of the Tournament in 1995/'96.

Anyway everything is not lost for young Kushal Janith Perera. Like his batting failures which would have disappointed him, being dropped for the World Cup are the vagaries of life or in his cricketing career that he has to face, like when facing bouncers bowled at him.

Sri Lanka's off spinning sensation who is the highest Test wicket-taker with 800 scalps and who played in the Sri Lanka World Cup winning team, Muttiah Muralitharan expressed his dismay at the dropping of experienced opener Upul Tharanga and the inclusion of Jeevan Mendis.

Tharanga would have been invaluable

Muralitharan reckons that Tharanga's experience would have been invaluable and would have been an asset. He also reasons that with the climate and pitches likely to be amenable to swing and pace that with spinners Rangana Herath, Sachitra Senanayake and Tillekratne Dilshan there Mendis would have been superfluous.

We can't but agree with Muralitharan. Having been in the game for long and having played in Kiwi conditions and wickets, he has the credentials to cut loose and his reasoning will be accepted.

The Sri Lankan cricketers did exceedingly well to win the Second One-Day International at Seddon Park in Hamilton after losing the first game at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch and the score now stands at one-all with five more to play. When this is read the third game would have been played at Eden Park in Auckland and done with.

The victory was made possible playing some good, calculated and thinking cricket and clever ground fielding and sensible batting piloted by a dashing century from opening batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan. Dilshan put to second best the 117 made by Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum by bashing 116 in 174 balls. McCullum's score came run a ball.

Dilshan's dashing century

In their chase for victory, Dilshan and Dimuth Karunaratne put on 61 and Kumar Sangakkara chipped in with 38, Mahela Jayawardana 27 and Angelo Mathews 39 not out to help Sri Lanka make 252 for 4 in reply to the Kiwi score of 248 and win by 6 wickets.

The Kiwis cooked their own goose by giving a horrendous exhibition of how not to run between wickets. They did not seem to have been told and shown the fundamentals in running between the wickets. At this level it was inexplicable, unacceptable and a shame.

Four batsmen were run out and with it went any chance the Kiwis had of making big score that was looming at one stage. Then McCullum would not have made his century, had the Lankans appealed for a run out when the batsman going for a single was sent back and changed direction.

The rule says the umpire should have ruled him run out. It was former Sri Lanka left-hander and now turning out into being amongst the best TV commentators Russel Arnold who pointed out that rule, which others were blissfully unaware of. Great on Arnold.

Well versed in home conditions

Playing in their own backyard and well versed in those conditions, the Kiwis rolled over the Lankans in the first game. That was what was expected of Brendon McCullum's Kiwis who are straining every nerve, sinew and muscle to hold aloft the World Cup which has eluded them since its inception in 1975.

McCullum who struck a fifty in the first game and then a hundred, has the knack of excelling in this style of game. He is sure to open the batting with probably Martin Guptil and can fire from ball one and demolish any attack in the tournament if allowed to roam free.

He has strong wrists and forearms he has good timing and when he connects has the power to send the ball skidding to the boundary or over it as he pleases. But if he were to go early, inexplicably the batting reverts to reverse gear. All teams will be looking to stuff McCullum before he steadies.

In the second game once he went the batting collapsed with the batsmen making a hash of running between the wickets. In addition Ross Taylor on whom rest big responsibility is hopelessly out of touch and struggling for timing and big runs.

By the way enjoy life now. It has an expiry date on it.

[email protected]