Form will determine starting XI - De Mel
T20 cricket is a different challenge, in terms of decision making, compared to Tests and ODIS. A single decision can influence the result of a T20 so the decisions they make are as important as the performances they put in the field
We have won the last four games, so all 16 players who are going to Australia have been in a winning team so it’s just the form that we will have to look at
Chief Selector Ashantha de Mel yesterday said that form will determine how quickly senior players can regain their places in Sri Lanka’s T20I Team, following the emergence of younger players during the tour to Pakistan earlier this month.
Sri Lanka retained 12 players from the squad that swept the T20I series in Pakistan, with four senior players – Lasith Malinga, Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella – who chose not to travel on that tour being included to the contingent travelling to Australia for a three-match T20I series.
De Mel had warned players who chose to boycott the series in Pakistan that they may find it difficult to regain their places should the players who did travel perform well, and he reiterated that point yesterday saying Selectors would closely monitor the form of the returning players.
“Winning is important but what we are looking at is form. In Pakistan, some of the players showed that they were in form and when they go to Australia it’s going to be a challenge for us also to see the new players (players returning to the team) and how their form is because they haven’t played cricket for a month.”
“We’ll have to take that also into account when we are selecting the final XI. We have won the last four games, so all 16 players who are going to Australia have been in a winning team so it’s just the form that we will have to look at,” de Mel said.
Malinga retains his role as Captain on return, the only one of the four returning players most guaranteed of a place in the starting XI.
Malinga said he was not disappointed to have missed out the tour of Pakistan, saying that it boded well for Sri Lanka in preparation for next year’s ICC World T20.
“I am not disappointed that I didn’t play in that series. It was good to see some of the younger players getting an extended run in the team,” Malinga said.
“I am happy they went and beat the world’s number one team (in T20IS) and to show that the next generation of players exists.”
If those younger players were to perform on this tour, it would also strengthen their claim for a spot in next year’s World Cup which is also being played in Australia.
“We have good players in the T20 format and the way they played in Pakistan, even if the conditions are different, they can continue what they started there. If they can do well in those conditions, they have the opportunity to cement their places in the T20 Team for the World Cup,” Malinga said.
Malinga also said that they would need intelligent players in the squad if they are to pose a threat in the World T20.
“T20 cricket is a different challenge, in terms of decision making, compared to Tests and ODIS. A single decision can influence the result of a T20 so the decisions they make are as important as the performances they put in the field.”
“We need to look at game intelligence and when we pick a squad we need to have at least 11 or 12 players who show that intelligence, in the squad, if we want to win.”
“That way there will always be at least six or seven players in the squad who have the intelligence to win matches on their own. If you look at the 2014 World T20, we were able to win because we had players like that in the team.”
“My expectation, no matter who captains the World Cup Team, is that we have those kinds of intelligent players,” he added.