The Sri Lankan top 4 are guns. Sanath and Dilshan take to 2020 cricket like a baby to a tit. Mahela and Sangakkara are smart enough to adjust their game and play however they please. Its a good mixture of power hitting and technically skilled batsmenship.
At no5 we have Calamity ‘Jehan’. Not ideal but he seems to be able to swing those lengthy arms to good affect when needed.
Then the problems begin. Two matches in and SLs top order have delivered. And delivered big. Numbers 6-8 weren’t called in. But somewhere down the line in this world cup they will be. What happens then is anyone’s guess.
Matthews is inexperienced and neither he nor Chamara silva are the hitters we need in these positions. It is an issue that has plagued SL for as long as I can remember.
SL hasn’t had a hitter of any nauce since the days Sanath used to bat down the order. That was like in the 80s or something.
Vass was tried but was never consisted.
Arnold was never a Symonds or an Oram.
Maharoof is the only dude who is close to a power hitter who can come down the order and take an attack apart. But he hasn’t gotten a game. Which we think is just weird.
Then there is Thilan Thushara, who is basically a left handed Maharoof.
Indika de Seram was picked on his domestic form. He hasn’t played either.
Where are the Dasamaha Yodayo(Local giants in SL folklore) when you need em.
Either these new Sri Lankan mothers have stopped feeding their sons ‘kola-kanda’ (a local vege soup which tastes like feet) and switched to Kellogs or the Sri Lankan men can’t produce quality sperm to deliver us a Flintoff sized Sri lankan.
Hell even a Yousuf Pathan would do. And how.
Whatever way you look at it, this will be found out sooner rather than later.And it would serve SL right if its in a super8 game. At least then Kumar and co will realise this.
Although I hope against it.
We can ask Symmo to come play for us.
I replied before to a similar post.
I still think we don’t really need a big hitter at no7 to win matches.
If we do find one then it is a bonous. But otherwise we should be able to win matches with the talent we have now.
Our bowling attack seems to be what keeping us in the running. The warm up match against SA and todays match against Pak proves that point. We have finnaly found genuine wicket takers in Malinga and Mendis, so poor Murali doesn’t have to do it all the time. With Aus Murali didn’t fire, but Maling and Mendis did. With Pak Mendis didn’t but the other two did.
Traditionally (with the exception of a super fit Jayasuriya), Sri Lankan crickerters were small made. Our people tend to be lean and small with big guys far and few between. So rather than lamenting about what we haven’t got, it’s better to work with what we have.
Well, i don’t think we need a guy like Symonds coming and blasting the ball around, but a player who has a lot of innovative shots and can hit the ball to any part of the ground without favouring one side (as most pinch hitters do.) This would help us in the death overs of both T20 and ODI cricket.
SL survived despite a few tactical mistakes from King Sanga. Should never have batted first in the first game at Lords. Also felt Malinga should have bowled the first over just to give the Ireland openers the hurry up.
Problem with this bad win is the NRR effect. SL are out if they lose to NZ.
Think it’s time for Maharoof to come in. He will get extra bounce than Nuwan and can blast the ball too.
Sach> That drunken hobos ship has sailed.
rajit> I agree, but what we have now is not really delivering on a consistent basis. Luckily in 2020 cricket the game is so short that we arnt exposed too many times. But on a day when the top 4 fail, there is no one I can think of as being a reliable dude to get us out of trouble.
jdgoal>I agree, Maharoof and Thushara seem like the best candidates to fill that role, Which doesnt inspire much.
inside>Ya the time for the bigroof is now I think. Can be relied upon for runs but he is still a bit of a jellybean when it comes to his bowling though.