Sri Lanka Thread

[anil1405]

How would you guys rate this batting line up of SL for the WC. Is it close to being the best batting unit they ever had in ODIs?

 

[Maximas]

How would you guys rate this batting line up of SL for the WC. Is it close to being the best batting unit they ever had in ODIs?

2-6 is bloody good, the other opener is too much of a problem for it to be our best IMO, and the lower order is pretty temperamental so I don't think so though, very decent batting line-up though

 

[YorksLanka]

Yes agree, 2-6 looks solid but we need to adapt well to the conditions if we are going to do well.

 

[YorksLanka]

England Cricket News: Sangakkara signs two-year Surrey deal | ESPN Cricinfo

so the end of internationals is nigh by the looks of it ;-( shame , the fomr he is in, he could have carried on and possibly become the highest run scorer in test cricket..

 

[Isura]

I do like your idea of a Mahela opening( as he has done in the past) but it would leave us with a void again after the WC, I suppose we would trade that for the cup tho...I have to say I would prefer chandi at 6 and thirri at four simply because thirri needs more time to score IMO and he tends to get himself out trying to force the pace. If he batted at 4 then he would have plenty of time..the only other reason I have for thirri opening is otherwise if we have Mahela,dilly and Sanga out cheaply, there is huge pressure on the youngsters below...

The future is irrelevant when choosing a world cup squad. You choose the best lineup to win. Mahela opening is clearly the best spot for him in this squad IMO. If Mahela, Sanga, and Dilshan all fail we aren't winning the match regardless of batting order.

 

[YorksLanka]

The future is irrelevant when choosing a world cup squad. You choose the best lineup to win. Mahela opening is clearly the best spot for him in this squad IMO. If Mahela, Sanga, and Dilshan all fail we aren't winning the match regardless of batting order.

Yes, that's why I agreed that I would trade the void for the cup..in terms of your comments about losing if the three seniors fail, Not necessarily, if we are going to do well, we need contributions from all...

 

[hendrix]

I think if you're going to open with your big guns at this particular world cup, it's better to be Sanga than Jayawardene.

Mahela's knock yesterday was fantastic but pretty well characterised by the ruthless way he went after the part timers, particularly Williamson. Sanga on the other hand enjoyed the field restrictions at the beginning and punished the fast bowlers.

Dilshan
Sanga (McHesson LH-RH combination)
Mahela
Thirimanne
Mathews
Chandimal
Jeevan
Kulasekara
Lakmal
Malinga/Prasad
Herath

 

[anil1405]

Guess the SL management are not keen on opening with Mahela. If they were, he would have been opening right now.

 

[Maximas]

I think if you're going to open with your big guns at this particular world cup, it's better to be Sanga than Jayawardene.

Mahela's knock yesterday was fantastic but pretty well characterised by the ruthless way he went after the part timers, particularly Williamson. Sanga on the other hand enjoyed the field restrictions at the beginning and punished the fast bowlers.

Dilshan
Sanga (McHesson LH-RH combination)
Mahela
Thirimanne
Mathews
Chandimal
Jeevan
Kulasekara
Lakmal
Malinga/Prasad
Herath

Thisara for Jeevan, Senanayake for Lakmal, and nah, Mahela to open, his record shows he can do it well, Sanga hasn't opened in an ODI for god knows how long (if ever?)

 

[YorksLanka]

nice to see Thirri scoring some runs opening despite us getting smashed..we can let Dimuth go back to tests now and play an extra genuine bowler hoping that Thisara starts to score at 7 and if not he can be replaced by a genuine batsmen

 

[Maximas]

With Thirimanne unable to continue his good run at 6 he probably needs to open to justify his place in the team given Chandiguns is around, Karunaratne is still stuck in the squad but has very little utility in any role at this point other than seeing off the new ball, which is really only a decent tactic in England IMO, we really can't be carrying both Thisara and Mendis in the line-up either, neither of them consistently contribute meaningfully with bat or ball, with Herath and Sachi around my hope is that Mendis gets the boot and we play two specialist tweakers

 

[YorksLanka]

yes because he(thirri) was always batting too low at#6 anyway as i was saying, i feel that he gets out by trying to force the pace of the game which isnt his strength..he is suted to opening and as you say, it allows chandi back into #6 spot..Dimuth playing odi's was always a silly move in that he was always onto a loser as a referral would never be gambled on him with sanga and mahela following so he would always be susceptible to wrong/close decisions going against him..this would demoralise him also and affect his form for tests too..i agree that jeevan will always be an extra whilst herath and satchi are fit..bring in Eranga instead so we at leasthave the option of adding another pace bowler if something goes wrong..

 

[Maximas]

Dhammika Prasad is out of the WC squad now, fractured hand. Selectors yet to make a decision as Jayasuria travels to NZ to join the team, Eranga will probably get the nod although a batsman is being considered as well, Upul Tharanga would be my pick

 

[YorksLanka]

not wanting to wish ill on anyone but shame it wasnt Dimuth who was withdrawn due to injury, we could have brought UT in and the squad would have been more balanced, having to choose between UT and Eranga, i would be surprised if we didnt go likefor like (in terms of roles) and bring Ernaga in(which i think was overdue anyway tbh)..I see Dimuth and Jeevan as the wasted spots in this squad(even though i rate Jeevan, i cant see him inthe playing XI barring injury to satchi/herath)..

 

[Maximas]

As it stands two spinners is probably going to be the go for every match (unfortunately Jeevan will be one of them for at least some of the time one feels) leaving two spots in the final XI for a pace bowler, most likely Kula and Malinga, with Lakmal on the sidelines. That's enough fast bowlers with Matthews and the norounder also in the side, so we really ought to take this chance to balance the squad, only if Malinga or another pacer goes down do we get Eranga in there IMO, now just for two more injuries/illnesses to Dimuth and Jeevan and we're looking pretty good

 

[YorksLanka]

do you think Jeevan will be picked ahead of Rangana?I genuinely think that Satchi will be first choice and then Rangana hence whyi felt that Jeevan's place is a wasted one. I suppose Jeevan does add battting over rangana but the latter will be a much safer bet in terms of bowling his 10 miserly and maybe picking up a couple of wickets along the way imo..

 

[Maximas]

I certainly hope not but from what I can tell the selectors think they need both a decent legspinner and someone who can bat at no 8, although Jeevan is ultimately neither (in these conditions) I think the selectors will favour him anyway, I think just about anyone who follows SL cricket would agree they'd rather not have Jeevan in the squad

 

[Prince EWS]

I would've picked Jeevan in the squad when the squad was picked. I probably wouldn't if I was picking the squad now though.

I do think it's a bit harsh to say that he's not good enough to bat eight in these conditions, too. He's not that bad.

 

[Antihippy]

http://i.imgur.com/WBi9z8a.png

Man, the SL uniforms are pretty dope.

 

[Maximas]

Oh man how's Sanga's grey hairs

I would've picked Jeevan in the squad when the squad was picked. I probably wouldn't if I was picking the squad now though.

I do think it's a bit harsh to say that he's not good enough to bat eight in these conditions, too. He's not that bad.

Jeevan was fodder in the England series, warning bells ought to have gone off then. As for batting 8 yeah it is harsh given he can indeed hold a bat to some extent but he doesn't really offer anything Kula doesn't tbh, maybe he's a little better suited to coming in earlier but he struggles to both rotate the strike and clear the boundary from what I've seen, particularly when pace and bounce is on offer, I just think he can't play the no 8 role properly and neither does he justify his bowling spot so he's a real waste IMO, especially with Perera also in the team as I've said a million times