Sri Lanka have chosen to wrap strike bowler Dushmantha Chameera in cotton wool for the three-match ODI series against England that gets underway today at the R. Premadasa Stadium, keeping one eye firmly on the bigger prize, the World Cup just around the corner.

Chameera, whose pace and hostility have made him a banker with both the new and old ball over the past 18 months, has largely stayed off the injury list in recent times. But a minor groin niggle forced him out of the third T20I against Pakistan in Dambulla and selectors have now decided not to roll the dice, opting instead for complete rest to ensure he hits the World Cup at full throttle.

There were similar murmurs around Wanindu Hasaranga. The champion leg-spinner is named in the squad but recently travelled to Singapore for medical treatment. Officials insisted the visit was not cricket-related, yet Hasaranga’s chequered history with hamstring injuries means Sri Lanka are unlikely to push him hard with the World Cup a fortnight away.

“I would like to have both of them in the side, no doubt about that,” skipper Charith Asalanka told reporters. “But the bigger picture is the World Cup and we need to manage their workload.”

Asalanka himself is no stranger to pressure. Ousted as T20 captain late last year, he has retained the ODI reins, though the return of Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva to the 50-over side after a gap of more than two years suggests the skipper remains under the scanner.

That said, results have been Asalanka’s strongest defence. Sri Lanka have punched above their weight in ODIs under his watch, with series victories over Australia and India bolstering his credentials.

Prolific run-getter Pavan Rathnayake has earned a call-up alongside all-rounder Milan Rathnayake as Sri Lanka look to add depth and flexibility to their middle order.

Sri Lanka begin the series ranked fifth in ODIs, three places above England, who sit eighth. The former world champions have struggled to find their feet since a dismal 2023 World Cup in India, losing six of their seven bilateral series and enduring a winless Champions Trophy campaign.

For Sri Lanka, a slip-up could see them tumble to sixth in the rankings, with South Africa breathing down their necks. ODIs, however, have been their strong suit in recent years, a welcome counterpoint after the disappointment of missing out on Champions Trophy qualification.

All three ODIs will be played in Colombo before the caravan moves to Kandy for the T20 leg. Tickets have been snapped up quickly, with a healthy contingent of England supporters already adding a splash of colour to the Colombo stands.

by Rex Clementine