***Official*** Sri Lanka in the West Indies

[Jungle Jumbo]

Dilshan's position in the Team must be really questioned .....the failure to include some of the others for this ODI series by the selectors is questionable ..ie MDK Perera and Warnapura...Because Mubarak is the only other option left in the ranks for this series Dilshan will continue to score peanuts and be part of the squad for eternity...

Worth more than enough in the field and with the ball to justify playing him as a number seven, IMO, even if he was to average only 20, 25.

 

[JASON]

as far as I Can see, Dilshan is certainly not going to make the cut for the next World Cup and therefore I see it as a waste to retain the guy in a squad where he does very little and gets by scoring a 20 or 30 and can never ever be a match winner...

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

as far as I Can see, Dilshan is certainly not going to make the cut for the next World Cup and therefore I see it as a waste to retain the guy in a squad where he does very little and gets by scoring a 20 or 30 and can never ever be a match winner...

Haha, misery indeed. Is perhaps one of the world's best fielders not a match winner? Is a player who can contribute a rapid fifty not a match winner? Is a player who has turned a number of games with his handy offspin not a match winner?

Dilshan is just in a trough. He'll come good again - Sri Lanka have dropped and then recalled him enough times in the past.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Haha, misery indeed. Is perhaps one of the world's best fielders not a match winner? Is a player who can contribute a rapid fifty not a match winner? Is a player who has turned a number of games with his handy offspin not a match winner?

Dilshan is just in a trough. He'll come good again - Sri Lanka have dropped and then recalled him enough times in the past.

People get carried away with the whole "match-winner" assessment anyway. Not everyone has to be a match-winner. Sometimes it's good to have players who can just be guaranteed to contribute something in every game. And Dilshan does that, between his batting, bowling and fielding.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

People get carried away with the whole "match-winner" assessment anyway. Not everyone has to be a match-winner. Sometimes it's good to have players who can just be guaranteed to contribute something in every game. And Dilshan does that, between his batting, bowling and fielding.

Well yes, a 'match winner' is a bit of a subjective, media-friendly term. Dilshan's six overs for 25, knock of 20 and run out is as good as a big knock sometimes from an opener or a three wicket haul for a frontline bowlers. I'd hate to see him dropped.

 

[Manee]

Also worth noting that Marlon Samuels is useless in his current state.

Although it would have to be a team decision and one which will not likely percevere as he finds form - but Samuels could be an invaluable asset to the team in an Afridi role of professional slogger. Averaging just 29.85 with a strike rate of 75.29, he is currently not useful in ODIs and I feel that he could find a permanent place in the side, realising his batting talent if he switched to T20 mode in ODIs, the same mode which gave him 131 runs at a strike rate of 177.02.

I am highly unsure if such a move is feasible though.

 

[JASON]

At 31 by the time the World cup comes around he would have declined to probably a 10 runs per game and perhaps 3 over for 30 runs and even half a run out or few near misses one feels.... is that enough to retain him ?


And by the way is Mendis the first Sri Lankan Army soldier to play for Sri Lanka?

 

[chaminda_00]

Would pick Mathews or K Kulasekera ahead of Dilshan as all rounders once Kapu finds his feet. Both are no where as good in the field, but will contribute in a similar way with bat and far more with the bowl. Also having a 3rd seamer, as batting all rounder will allow you to play Mendis and Murali together. But I rather Kapu find his feet at seven first before going down that track. Hate to see him pushed up to six and then five too soon, as Silva's spot not secure either.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Although it would have to be a team decision and one which will not likely percevere as he finds form - but Samuels could be an invaluable asset to the team in an Afridi role of professional slogger. Averaging just 29.85 with a strike rate of 75.29, he is currently not useful in ODIs and I feel that he could find a permanent place in the side, realising his batting talent if he switched to T20 mode in ODIs, the same mode which gave him 131 runs at a strike rate of 177.02.

I am highly unsure if such a move is feasible though.

His head just doesn't seem in the game right now. Yes, he had a very good tour of South Africa. But you pick your best players, and given the apparent mindset of Samuels right now, he is not one of them. He seems like a passenger in the team at the moment. West Indies, more than practically any other team in the world, cannot afford passengers.

 

[JBH001]

At 31 by the time the World cup comes around he would have declined to probably a 10 runs per game and perhaps 3 over for 30 runs and even half a run out or few near misses one feels.... is that enough to retain him ?


And by the way is Mendis the first Sri Lankan Army soldier to play for Sri Lanka?

Right, because everything revolves around the 2011 WC. Stop being an idiot, Jason. Your incessant bagging of the SL team is irritating.

Although I would like to see Dilshan bat higher, as currently I think the SL middle order unbalanced with Silva, Dilshan, Kapu. Does not look right to me.

 

[JASON]

Right, because everything revolves around the 2011 WC. Stop being an idiot, Jason. Your incessant bagging of the SL team is irritating.

Although I would like to see Dilshan bat higher, as currently I think the SL middle order unbalanced with Silva, Dilshan, Kapu. Does not look right to me.

I think you are being dumb to ignore a guy who has been in the Team for an awefully long time making a few bits and pieces contributions without going onto being better than that ..a real journeyman ...I think its being smart to think like that rather than tolerate barely mediocre players ...I think you are being an idiot in failing to see the reality ...

 

[roseboy64]

Got cut off after the first 18 overs of the WI innings due to some budget debate. Was delighted when I heard what Chanderpaul did. Sucks though that Sri Lanka got so many runs in the first place.

 

[pasag]

Haha wow. What a gun.

 

[Top_Cat]

Is it me or do SL and WI seem to have more than their fair share of close matches? Is there some sort of niggle between the teams that I'm not aware of because a lot of matches between them seem to be close, unless in SL of course.

 

[Burgey]

WI competitive in SA, now levelling a test series v SL after being one down.

Long way to go, but it seems like some promising signs, what do you fellas reckon?

 

[Nate]

I think you are being dumb to ignore a guy who has been in the Team for an awefully long time making a few bits and pieces contributions without going onto being better than that ..a real journeyman ...I think its being smart to think like that rather than tolerate barely mediocre players ...I think you are being an idiot in failing to see the reality ...

Haha, shortest memory ever IMO.

 

[Nate]

Ooh, can someone please elaborate on Mendis? Why the fuss?

 

[Top_Cat]

WI competitive in SA, now levelling a test series v SL after being one down.

Long way to go, but it seems like some promising signs, what do you fellas reckon?

The guys in the team are doing better, yes, but they've been around for a while so you'd expect that they'd improve. Again too, they won that Test on the back of their gun batsmen. Have a look at the records of their bowlers; all average over 35 for their Test wickets and have less than impressive strike-rates. Because of this, they'll be competitive, sure, but they won't be able to consistently trouble the best sides until they unearth a couple of top-shelf Test bowlers.

That said, I still like watching them play because it's pretty obvious there's talent there and the quicks rarely shirk giving it a go. This is why I reckon they're paving the way for the next generation to really step up. There are incremental increases being shown and if they can build on that with new players, they may just start being a force again. I like the influence of guys like Fidel Edwards because he's got talent, if not a lot in the way of consistency. He provides the spark. If a player like Darren Powell could perhaps work at being the line-and-length bowler and work with Fidel, that would be a potent open combination.

 

[Nate]

Taylor and Edwards isn't?

 

[NZTailender]

Wow, looked like a cracker. Wish we had coverage. Love Chanderpaul and agree with Liam re: his underratedness.

So glad Kapu lived up to his potential as well. Hope he presses on with it.