Sports
Quicks, rotate them and look after them
by Rex Clementine
Despite the disappointment over how Sri Lanka’s cricket teams have fared in recent years, there is one format in which they have managed to hold their heads high, ODI cricket. There are a couple of notable feathers in their cap too, having beaten Australia and India, the world’s two top ranked teams and finalists at the last World Cup.
Those impressive performances against the heavyweights have ensured that Sri Lanka are out of the woods this time around. Unlike ahead of the 2023 World Cup, they will not have to endure the indignity of a qualifying tournament to book their ticket to South Africa in 2027.
How they fare once they get there, of course, is another question altogether.
Sri Lanka failed to progress beyond the first round in both 2019 and 2023, a sharp contrast to their impressive run from 2003 to 2015. Across those four World Cups, they twice finished runners-up, reached a semi-final on another occasion and made the quarter-finals in the other.
If Sri Lanka are to make an impact in South Africa, one thing they must do is wrap their fast bowlers in cotton wool. Fast bowling has been one of the brighter areas of Sri Lankan cricket in recent years and there can hardly be a better place to cash in than South Africa, where hard, bouncy surfaces tend to put a spring in the step of any quick worth his salt.
The key man, obviously, is Dushmantha Chameera. The quickest bowler in the country, Chameera is now being used only in white ball cricket and that should make workload management considerably easier. Sri Lanka would be wise to count how many limited overs games they have between now and the World Cup rather than wheel him out for every bilateral contest.
Keep him for the important assignments, such as the Asia Cup. Then there is the IPL, where he will understandably want to ply his trade. Manage him sensibly and by the time the World Cup comes around this time next year, Sri Lanka could have a fresh and firing Chameera rather than one held together by strapping and hope.
Then there is Asitha Fernando, whose progress over the last five years has been remarkable. Currently ranked just outside the top ten among Test bowlers, he has earned admiration for his ability to make things happen, particularly with the older ball. He keeps asking questions even when conditions are against him.
A stint with Glamorgan last year appears to have added a few more tricks to his armoury as well. Asitha is no longer simply a wholehearted fast bowler. He is developing into a clever one.
Lahiru Kumara is another serious weapon. The second quickest bowler in the country behind Chameera, he can be devastating when fully fit. His career should probably have produced far more by now, but, like Chameera, injuries have repeatedly applied the handbrake.
Eshan Malinga, meanwhile, has arguably been the most improved fast bowler in the country over the last 12 months. He has pace, guile and every time you watch him, there seems to be another little trick added to his repertoire. The upcoming series against England should tell us plenty about how far he has come.
Eshan has already become a regular fixture for his IPL franchise. It should only be a matter of time before he establishes himself in similar fashion for Sri Lanka.
Then there is Dilshan Madushanka to provide the left-arm variety. When in full flow, he is a treat to watch. His ability to strike with the new ball makes him particularly valuable and when batters attempt to force the pace against him, he can be deadly. Used aggressively during the Power Play, he should provide plenty of early breakthroughs.
That makes Sri Lanka’s use of their quicks during the upcoming tour of England, particularly in the ODIs, worth watching closely. With the World Cup in mind, there is little sense in flogging the same men game after game. Rotate them, manage them and make sure the main weapons are still firing when the bigger battles arrive.
There are also Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara, the two slingers, although that style of bowling increasingly looks as though it is losing some of its novelty as batters become accustomed to it.
One man Sri Lanka should certainly not overlook is Milan Rathnayake. He bowls at a decent pace, bats beautifully and is probably the best fielder among the fast bowlers. That package could prove invaluable in South African conditions.
Sri Lanka have spent years searching for a pace attack with depth. They finally appear to have one. The challenge now is to preserve them. South Africa will reward pace. Sri Lanka’s job over the next year is to make sure their quicks land in Johannesburg fit.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth broke the stand with Parvez’s wicket and triggered another collapse. Bangladesh went from 50/5 to 72/8 in the space of 18 deliveries, the chase now well beyond their reach. Sri Lanka’s bowling quartet of Ratnayake (2-18), Nuwan Thushara (2-18), Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (2-26), Wanuja Sahan (2-17) did all of the damage as Bangladesh were bowled out for 102 – 63 short of their target.
Scores:
Sri Lanka 165/9 in 20 overs [Sahan Arachchige 33, Ashen Bandara 18, Thjarindu Rathnayake 65; Mahedi Hasan 2-19, Al Islam 1-18, Rishad Hossain 1-46, Saif Hasan 2-28, Mustafizur Rahman 2-43] beat Bangladesh 102/10 in 17.3 overs [Parvez Hossain Emon 20, Towhid Hridoy 11, Yasir Ali 21, Rishad Hossain 10, Nasum Ahmed 26; Nuwan Thushara 2-18, Tharindu Rathnayake 2-18, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2-26, SahanArachchige 1-09, Wanuja Sahan 2-17, Dushan Hemantha 1-11] by 63 runs.
[Cricbuzz]
Opening batter Sineth Jayawardena has charged into the Sri Lanka T20I squad for the series against Pakistan, while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has claimed the legspinner’s spot in the absence of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga. Seam-bowling allrounder Chamindu Wickremesinghe has also been named, as has batter Sahan Arachchige, while seamer Binura Fernando makes a return.
Omitted from the squad were the likes of batter Charith Asalanka, fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake, and batting allrounder Janith Liyanage.
Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera was named in the squad, but his participation is subject to fitness.
Jayawardena, 21, has got his call-up because of an outstanding recent run in domestic T20s. In the past month, he has struck 101 off 52 and 82 off 32 for Tamil Union Cricket Club in the club T20 competition. He has played a single T20I, at the ongoing Asiad, but otherwise has never been part of a full-strength Sri Lanka side.
Others, such as Wickramasinghe, Arachchige, and Viyaskanth have earned their call-ups through years of performance at domestic level. Each of these players has appeared in T20 internationals for Sri Lanka before, but with the national team having had little success in this format in 2026, this inclusion represents their best chance yet to embed themselves within the side.
The three T20Is, which are all set to be played in Rawalpindi, will begin on October 9.
Sri Lanka squad :
Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt.), Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness)
At the end of a wretched week in Nisshin, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have something real to play for: an Asian Games bronze.
Both teams have a point to prove. Bangladesh recovered well from a poor start in their semi-final against Pakistan, thanks to Towhid Hridoy’s efforts with the bat, but their bowlers couldn’t defend 111 in a 13-overs-a-side game, and Mustafizur Rahman was taken to the cleaners in one of his rare poor outings in T20Is.
But at least they ran Pakistan close. In the other semi-final, India ran riot over Sri Lanka, bowling them out for 45. Sri Lanka had a second-string side on the field, but they wouldn’t have bargained for the basic mistakes they made, like the three run-outs in their innings.
Bangladesh, who can call on most of their first-choice players, start the third-place match as clear favourites, but the testing conditions at Nisshin can even up contests that look one-sided on paper. And both teams will have the motivation of bringing joy to contingents that have endured mostly barren Asian Games campaigns.
After a run-less Australia tour where Litton Das made three ducks in a row in the Test series, he was out for 2 against Pakistan. Litton faced just three balls, off which he attempted two reverse-sweeps, the second of them costing him his wicket. It was a perplexing innings on a pitch that offered a lot of turn and awkward bounce. Sometimes it’s hard to say if a batter is really out of form when he’s made a string of low scores, but Litton, who has led Bangladesh impressively in this format over the last couple of years, will want to break out of this run quickly.
Sahan Arachchige couldn’t quite muster up a captain’s performance against India, especially after his top three batters fell for ducks. He scored 9 before falling to a sweep shot against Axar Patel. He had earlier taken two wickets with his offbreaks. The 30-year-old allrounder now has the chance to put together a better show and inspire his team to the bronze.
Both teams could test their bench strength in the bronze-medal match.
Sri Lanka (probable): Sineth Jayawardena, Lasith Croospulle, Sohan de Livera (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Sahan Arachchige (capt), Ashen Bandara, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Tharindu Ratnayake, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando.
Bangladesh (probable): Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (capt), Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Towhid Hridoy (c), Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Aliss Al Islam/Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman/Hasan Mahmud.
[Cricinfo]
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