Silver Silva
International Regular
All Sri Lankan cricket news and team discussion can be posted here.
Squad is alright from a batting perspective - there's a good enough mix there to select a solid starting lineup from. Mathews and Dimuth are getting on a bit in my view so maybe having a few more younger players in the squad might be good. More players like Madushka and Kamindu Mendis really.
It's a big problem in SL cricket ..a lot of bad influences still remainPraveen Jayawickrama has been charged with anti-corruption offences
Sri Lankan circus thread is a pathetic name for a cricket team update thread and it's barely active , this will one be better..I will update it regularly for all cricket fans genuinely interested on Sri Lankan cricket in good and bad times.We already have a perfectly good thread: http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/threads/sri-lanka-circus-thread.79729/page-6
Here is the cricinfo article on that story ..Praveen Jayawickrama has been charged with anti-corruption offences
I'll go a bit more aggressive and field something like this personally:I feel we should go conservative for the first test ..
I don't think Prabath Jayasuriya will be a threat at Old Trafford , I'd rely on Kamindu Mendis and DDS to bowl spin with 3 seamer + Mathews if he's up to bowling ..
This would be my XI :
1.Karunaratne
2.Madushka
3.Nissanka
4.Mathews
5.Chandimal
6.Kamindu Mendis
7.Kusal Mendis (WK)
8.Dhananjaya De Silva
9.Asitha Fernando
10 Vishwa Fernando
11.Kasun Rajitha
Do you think Kusal can handle keeping wicket and batting no.3 long-term? Feel it's a compromise but we can't drop any of the topI'll go a bit more aggressive and field something like this personally:
1. Nissanka
2. Madushka
3. Kusal Mendis+
4. Mathews
5. Chandimal
6. Dhananjaya De Silva*
7. Kamindu Mendis
8. Prabath Jayasuriya
9. Asitha Fernando
10. Vishwa Fernando
11. Lahiru Kumara
3 pacers + Mathews
1 spinner +Kamindu and DDS
Batsmen or batting allrounders down to 7
Bowling allrounder at 8
Jayasuriya is quite decent with the bat and has worked on trying to be a better no 8 - we should back him IMO.Do you think Kusal can handle keeping wicket and batting no.3 long-term? Feel it's a compromise but we can't drop any of the top
7 bar Madushka maybe ..so your combination will work ..Long tail is a worry for me
We won in 2014 with a less talented bowling attack than the one we are taking on this tour, the English are there for the taking if we can put runs on the board.Jayasuriya is quite decent with the bat and has worked on trying to be a better no 8 - we should back him IMO.
Regarding Kusal, for now I'd just let him bat at 3 as that's where he's at his best. When Mathews retires, Samarawickreme can come in and take the gloves off him. So it's a short term situation for him in Tests. That's my thinking anyway.