WITH BATTING WOES ADDRESSED, SRI LANKA LEAVE FOR OMAN
Sri Lanka have worked ‘extremely hard’ on their batting during a nine-day training camp in the hopes of shoring up the deficiencies exposed during the recent home series against South Africa, Head Coach Mickey Arthur said, ahead of the team’s departure to Oman yesterday. Following a two T20I series against Oman, coached by former national captain Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka will play two warm-up matches before they begin their T20 World Cup campaign in the qualifying round of the tournament.
The margins of defeat in all three T20IS against South Africa were not particularly flattering for Sri Lanka, with the batters appearing inept against a disciplined spin bowling attack.
Sri Lanka fell short by 28 runs in the first T20I, chasing a target of 164 for victory, losing the second match by nine wickets and third by ten wickets.
In the final two matches, Sri Lanka made scores of 103 and 120 respectively, both new lows against that opposition.
“That’s an area we have worked extremely hard on over the last nine days. We’ve had three practice games, we’ve had some skill sessions, we have got players to sweep, we’ve clearly identified exactly where we want our players to play and how we want to play,” Arthur said.
“I think if our batting clicks it will give us a real good chance because our bowling attack is very good and our fielding standards have improved dramatically.”
Since that tour to England, Sri Lanka have won just two of the last six T20IS -- victory coming against a depleted Indian team.
After going all-in to develop a young core for the limitedovers teams earlier in the year, Sri Lanka’s batting was severely hamstrung when Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella were handed one-year suspensions for breaking bio-bubble protocols on Sri Lanka’s tour to England in June.
That put Sri Lanka back at square one, but some of the fresher faces that have come in have shown promise, Arthur said.
“That was a massive blow for us. (That was) Three of our top five batters in the white-ball format there. That was a bitter pill to swallow for sure. You suddenly go back to square one in terms of your planning again. But it’s led us to find the likes of Charith Asalanka who has come on beautifully; Kamindu Mendis who is also playing beautifully; Pathum Nissanka has probably got another opportunity again; it’s allowed Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa to come back onto the mix,” said Arthur.
“Out of that adversity, it’s allowed opportunities to other players. But those three were primary in terms of our white-ball planning. It was disappointing.”
Arthur did compliment the balance of the squad, however, saying that it afforded them a sense of flexibility.
“The good thing with the squad that we have got at the moment is that we can be flexible. We can certainly be flexible in terms of how we set our team up. I’ve been watching the IPL intently because we are going to be playing on the same wickets. Sharjah has looked an interesting wicket, it’s held up a little.
All the wickets around this time of the year are fairly slow there, simply because of the weather conditions,” Arthur said, adding that there were multiple combinations Sri Lanka could turn to if the situation called for it.
Arthur added that there were still two spots in the final 15-man squad up for grabs, and the series against Oman, where Sri Lanka will be without Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, would be an ideal opportunity for fringe players to seal a place for the World Cup.
“Without those two it gives our fringe players another opportunity to put their hand up before we actually nail down and finalise our squad on the 10th (the last day to name World Cup squads).
It gives opportunities to other guys. I’m very comfortable with the squad and how the team is shaping up. I think we are probably down to two places that will be determined and fought for during the Oman series. Other than that, we are pretty consistent now with where we want to go to,” Arthur said.
Following the two T20IS against Oman, Sri Lanka will face Bangladesh on October 12 and Papua New Guinea two days later in the T20 World Cup warm-up matches before they play their opening match in the qualifying round of the tournament.