Sri Lanka pinning hopes on veteran fast bowler Malinga
SRI Lanka have turned to old warhorse Lasith Malinga to put fight into their Champions Trophy campaign and reverse their decline in the one-day game.
The islanders have missed Malinga – one of the world’s great fast bowlers – through injury and their performances have suffered.
Sri Lanka won a series against Zimbabwe and West Indies last year, but were beaten in one-day contests on tours of England and South Africa in the 2016-17 season.
So the selectors have turned to Malinga and brought back fit-again allrounder Angelo Mathews to lead the side for the 50-over tournament starting on Thursday.
Malinga, 33, was a surprise choice considering he has played hardly any international cricket in the past 18 months.
He did, however, recently win the Indian Premier League title with the Mumbai Indians.
Malinga was the only player excused from the high altitude training camp for Sri Lanka’s England-bound players because of the IPL campaign.
“His fitness is improving and we are hoping that he will be able to deliver the full quota of 10 overs [a match] in England,” Sri Lanka Cricket president Thilanga Sumathipala said.
Sri Lanka have also made Allan Donald fast bowling coach for the tournament after bringing back Graham Ford for a second coaching stint with the team since early last year.
Donald said he had high hopes for the pace attack of Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thisara Perera and Malinga.
“The Sri Lankan attack has what it takes to win the tournament,” Donald, the first South African to 300 test wickets, said.
Ford has played down the team’s chances in the eight-nation event, however, calling them the tournament underdogs.
Sri Lanka are in Group B with India, Pakistan and South Africa.
They begin the Champions Trophy against the Proteas at The Oval on Saturday. – AFP