We is going to Pakistan.

And this is who is going.

Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Malinda Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara, Suranga Lakmal.

Notice who is in, and who isn’t.

Dilhara Fernando is in after giving the selection commitee a hand job each.

Vandort is dropped after scoring around 50 runs in about 3 years.

Dhammika Prasads dropped after winning a test Sri Lanka may have lost in Bangladesh. That apparently means nothing.

Paranavitana has been picked on form. How positively brave of the selection mob.

And Suranga Lakmal has been rushed in too soon for his good.

With Maharoof, Vass, Dilhara and Thushara all in the squad, Suranga might only be required to run towels to the middle, but we would rather see him running in than Dilhara any day.

The good news is that Pakistan havent played proper cricket for years now. No, thats not an exaggaration about the year of test cricket Pakistans missed.

In 2007, Pakistan played 8 tests and won 1. In fact out of the last 20 tests Pakistans been in, they ‘ve chalked up 5 wins. Not the most inspirational stuff.

But they do have a dodgy record against SL, not in terms of poor performance, but they tend to loose at home more to SL than away.

1 loss away compared to 6 at home. Weird.

Since 2000, SL have been in Pakistan for 6 tests and won 4 of those.

So it all points to a good series, which makes it a great shame that they trying to make this all about Mahela.

7 Comments

  1. Yz said:

    Howdy Damith!..

    Apparently Pakistan 2nd string line up has given the Lankans a nice lesson of Cricket with them racking up 395 runs in 90 overs with the cost of just 4 wickets!

    Spin king has gone wicketless and Splendid could capture just one. It’s just me or it seems like most batsmen have already figured out how to deal with his bag full of tricks?..

    February 17, 2009
    Reply
  2. Kesh said:

    dammika prasad is our king kong … don’t know what they doing by not selecting him in the squad…

    check out the scorecards in the practice game so far….

    http://content-sl.cricinfo.com/pakvsl/engine/match/389871.html

    Looking forward to see samraweera in action… hope he enjoys the same kind of success in overseas as well…. pak should suit him…

    February 17, 2009
    Reply
  3. Kesh said:

    splendid will get back on track … the pitches haven’t been entirely helpful either… he should learn

    i want thilina thushara to do well too…

    someone enlighten me abt the pitches in pakistan if can…

    February 17, 2009
    Reply
  4. Sam said:

    Back after long 🙂

    I predict 1-1 for both….

    February 17, 2009
    Reply
  5. Who’s playing for Pakistan? Does anyone know yet? What’s happening with the ICL players?

    February 18, 2009
    Reply
  6. Sachintha said:

    The Splendid will return, with a vengence… 😀

    February 18, 2009
    Reply
  7. damiths said:

    yz> apparently so, somehow day 2 doesnt seem to have been updated, i can only wish for the best. however, tour matches dont really mean much.

    kesh>splendid better learn fast, the more he bowls the better, people seem to have figured him out, so now its his turn to learn to outfox them again. this pak series will be hard for him, but it will be worth its weight in gold for his future.

    sam> good to have you back. i think it will be 1-0 to SL.

    tob> your guess is good as mine, i think the ICL players wont be playing. Younis Khan will captain.

    Sach> Lets hope so !

    February 18, 2009
    Reply

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