The upcoming T20 World Cup, featuring 20 teams across a frenetic three-week carnival, has whetted appetites among fans, players and administrators alike. Scratch beneath the surface and the contenders fall neatly into three baskets. There are the heavyweights; Australia, England and India, with South Africa firmly in that front rank. Then come the dark horses: Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan, sides capable of blowing hot and cold but dangerous on their day. And finally, the also-rans, teams largely battle-hardened through the qualifying grind.

As co-hosts, Sri Lanka would like to believe they belong in the second bracket, coming into the tournament as dark horses rather than merely making up numbers. But form, that most unforgiving of judges, tells a harsher story. Six months out from the World Cup, the former champions have looked closer to the third category than the second. In an era where 200 has become par for the course in T20Is, Sri Lanka are struggling to bat out their 20 overs, a red flag if ever there was one. Their opening skirmish against Pakistan in the ongoing series did little to lift the mood or the belief.

The obvious question is: what have Pakistan done right that Sri Lanka haven’t?

No one expects Sri Lanka to suddenly roll out a production line of express quicks to rival Pakistan’s fearsome fast-bowling arsenal. That cupboard is well stocked in Pakistan and admired by all and sundry. But their batting depth and spin options have not materialised overnight. They are the dividends of continuity and clarity, commodities Sri Lanka have been short of.

Take Kamindu Mendis. Across formats, he has been a reliable all-rounder, even if he hasn’t always set the world on fire. Yet the evidence is there: his skill set is good enough to win you games. Once you identify such a player, you give him a long rope. You don’t pull the plug after a couple of low scores.

Then there is the curious case of Kusal Janith Perera. It is hard to fathom how a player deemed good enough for the squad struggles to crack the playing XI. KJP is a destructive batter, a high-risk, high-reward operator. His methods won’t always win him admirers, but impatience with a proven match-winner smacks of short-term thinking.

Continuity, after all, is the bedrock of a successful cricket team. There was little logic in stripping Charith Asalanka of the T20 captaincy. Now low on confidence, he risks sliding out of World Cup contention altogether.

Selectors have also dusted off an old playbook by turning again to Dhananjaya de Silva. Before and during the last World Cup, he was tasked with batting through the innings to arrest collapses. The experiment failed and he was axed. Now, on the eve of another World Cup, he is back in the saddle. It feels less like strategy and more like musical chairs.

The other burning issue is the gaping hole in the lower order. Too many bowlers are passengers with the bat, leaving the tail exposed. Dunith Wellalage offers a partial solution, yet he has failed to cement his place. Yes, his bowling can be a weak link, but if he was identified as a future star, the onus was on the management to back him, build his confidence and tell him he belongs in the big league.

With the World Cup at home and conditions tailor-made for spin, an operator like Wellalage should have been banked on long ago.

Rex Clementine

in Dambulla ✍️