MATHEWS AXED FROM ODI SQUAD

COLOMBO: Angelo Mathews has been dropped from Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for the series against England over fitness concerns, reports Espncricinfo. Mathews was removed from the limited-overs captaincy immediately after the Asia Cup. The Sri Lanka board is yet to name the squad. cricket, the nature of white-ball cricket has changed drastically, but Sri Lanka have failed to step up to the mark. The team badly lacks power hitters who could make maximum use of powerplays. Teams these days are regularly touching the 350 mark while Sri Lanka are struggling to post totals in the region of 250.

Their bowlers tend to look to contain the batsmen in limited-overs cricket whereas the order of the day is to pick up wickets. Teams like India, South Africa, Pakistan and England, some of the more successful teams in ODI cricket in recent times, have relied on wrist spinners, but Sri Lanka have refused to go on that path.

Right-arm leg-spinner Jeffrey Vander- say and Chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan have been around for sometime but they have been given little exposure. Vandersay last featured in an ODI in October 2017 while Sandakan has played only 13 ODIS in two years.

In Test cricket, of course, the Sri Lankans are still a strong force. No team had beaten Pakistan in UAE since the gulf region had become their adopted home in 2010. Sri Lanka put an end to that with a sensational 2-0 series win. More recently, they overcame South Africa 2-0. Captain Dinesh Chandimal is ranked eighth and opener Dimuth Karunaratne is ranked seventh in ICC Test rankings. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath is at seven in the rankings for Test bowlers.

However, Herath is not going to be around for a long time. The upcoming three-match series at home is going to be his swansong. Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera is their second-choice spinner and he is 36. The likes of off-spinner Akila Dananjaya and fast bowler Kasun Rajitha are expected to make an impact in the longer run. The next six months are going to be tough for the Sri Lankan side. After the England series, they will be taking on New Zealand, Australia and South Africa away from home in back-to-back series and these challenges will test them.

Writer is a senior Sri Lankan cricket journalist and his views are personal