Make changes now to our cricket team

Sri Lanka was bruised,battered and whitewashed twice in both formats by the formidable Proteas, the losing streak sustained in the identical vein. In order to have even a slight chance, the writer believes drastic changes in the composition of the playing eleven is of prime importance with the ICC World Cup 2019 looming in June this year.

After Sri Lanka won the plum of cricket the ICC World Cup in 1996, we became known to the entire world. Since then, we had performed admirably both in ODI’s and Tests and our cricketers have broken many world records in both formats.

Our eminence in cricket in all formats has since diminished to disturbingly low levels in the last few years. In parallel to the performances of the rest of the teams our chances are very bleak which is demonstrated beyond doubt in the ODI rankings. We may probably need to play in a qualifying round before playing in the tournament proper.

This calamity of losing all five ODI’s and three T/20’s against South Africa warrants an urgent diagnosis. The composition of teams in this ODI format in the World Cup is vital to rebuild our lost pride. Our tail has long been too impotent to wag. In NZ we were unable to bat the full quota of 50 overs and 20 overs in the shorter formats. In the 2nd ODI we could bat only for 32.2 overs while in the 3rd ODI against NZ we lost the last four wickets without adding a single run.

It was the same against South Africa too.In the 2nd and 4th ODI’s we succumbed in 32.2 and 39.2 overs. In all shorter formats the playing eleven consisted of too many bowlers who were not even barely used. More batsmen should have been included instead of them.

In all recent encounters the batsmen at the top as usual were all in a vast panic, and lost their wickets playing rash strokes.The manner in which the Proteas batsmen built their innings should be emulated. The lower order should be trained to bat better. The selectors will have to include all-rounders who can bowl restricting the opposition batsmen from scoring, if this pattern of losing is to be reversed in the forthcoming World Cup matches.

The deadline for submitting the names of the WC squad is April 15 after the 50 over provincial tournament. The performances of players in this tournament should be taken into due consideration.

Sunil Thenabadu

Brisbane