Sri Lanka ODI side needs changes

- Sangakkara

Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara in a candid gesture claimed full responsibility for the team’s recent run of mixed results in international cricket saying it was time from 2010 for each individual in the team to hold himself accountable for results.
“I think the biggest problem has been that we have not recognized the fact that we have to change as a one-day side,” he told reporters during a media conference held at SLC headquarters last week.
“We simply can’t play the same cricket we played in 2007 and in 2008.
“The Mendis, Malinga, Murali, Jayasuriya factors which helped us win so many games, you know made us think that these guys would do the job for us all the time.
“But what about the rest of the team? Are we going to just depend on certain people or are we going to stand up as each individual and win matches on our own right?
“What would happen if these guys don’t play cricket all the time and if they get injured, they get dropped and they don’t perform as well as they do, what’s going to happen to the team.
“I think what we’ve to realize as a side is every year you have to work harder and every year you’ve to reinvent yourself as a player if you can and everything you go out to do be positive as you can in order to win, you don’t think about the next guy you think about yourself and as individuals and as individual players over the past 15 months or so, I don’t think we’ve taken enough responsibility in that regard.”
He said that one of the biggest obstacles for the team failing to string together a streak of consistent performances had been their failure to accept challenges as individuals instead of relying on a few tried and tested players regularly.
“I honestly think that is greatly affecting our performances and that has got to change. If we need to go forward and we are talking about World Cups, forget the World Cup, you are talking about winning the next tournament, and as individual players we must frankly admit that we simply didn’t play well enough to win certain tournaments.
“Certain individuals we think will come and do things, but at the same time as players in the side - you are in the side because you are good enough we have to do those changes necessary to be up to scratch.”
Both, skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Chairman of cricket selectors Asantha de Mel who also participated at this press conference sang from the same song sheet - in asserting that many young players whose careers had been forced into oblivion in the recent past could now look forward to ushering in a new order if they perform up to expectations - as old war horses are systematically shown the door.
Captain Sangakkara in particular waxed eloquent on the credentials of a few youngsters unearthed during the tour of India such as off-spinner Suraj Randiv, pacer Suranga Lakmal and all-rounder Thissara Perera along with emerging all-rounder Angelo Mathews.
The media savvy Sri Lanka captain also affirmed that the ODI tri-series (also involves India) which is set to kick off tomorrow (Jan 4) in Bangladesh, would be used to blood many youngsters as possible - and one player in particular who could catch the headlines in his view would be Lahiru Thirimanne - a free-scoring left-handed opener from Prince of Wales, Moratuwa.
The selectors and the captain are eyeing the youngster as both understudy and substitute in case one of the batsmen from the in-form opening combination of Upul Tharanga and new vice captain TM Dilshan gets injured during this series.
Meanwhile, Chairman of selectors Asantha de Mel was of the view that former captain and veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya and spin ace Muttiah Muralitharan were not considered for the tour of Bangladesh due to specific reasons.
He observed that 40-year-old Jayasuriya yet remained in the frame for future selections provided he is able to deliver the goods on a consistent basis depending on team requirements (more so as a bowling all-rounder) - now that his role as an opener has been overhauled.
However, De Mel maintained that former vice captain Muralitharan could still be a force to be reckoned with at the 2011 World Cup in spite of his uninspiring efforts during the recently concluded tour of India, and that injury had forced him out of the ODI tri-series in Dhaka.
The Chairman of selectors stressed that former skipper Mahela Jayawardene also was on the injured list and differed with the opinion of some reporters that the elegant right-hander’s unimpressive ODI average should be held against him.
He said that people should also consider the position Jayawardene had gone into bat and the match situation which could also have a drastic impact on a batsman’s average. - (JK)
Sri Lanka squad for Bangladesh -
Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), TM Dilshan (V-Capt), Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Thilina Kandamby, Lahiru Thirimanne, Muthumuladige Pushpakumara, Thissara Perera, Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilan Thushara, Suraj Randiv, Suranga Lakmal and Chanaka Welegedara.