Sri Lanka’s substandard preparation for the World Cup has been completely exposed with defeats against two teams South Africa and Pakistan even before the big games against Australia on Monday followed by pending matches against England, India and New Zealand.
Questions have been raised in India not just over the mental and physical preparations of the players but also the selection of the playing Eleven with the bowlers ripped apart in both matches.
Square arm action fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana is proving to be the biggest misfit in the team and according to former Sri Lanka World Cup player and current commentator Russel Arnold, the 20-year old bowler should not be playing on the big stage without proper grooming.
Pathirana conceded as many as 95 runs in the match against South Africa and 90 more bowling to Pakistan while another fast bowler with experience Lahiru Kumara was a spectator in the stands not good enough to be out in the middle according the Selection Committee led by former fast bowler Pramodya Wickremasinghe who is good at backing away from the media.
Spin bowler Dunith Wellalage at age 20 has proved that he has no place among the men at the World Cup conceding 143 runs in the two matches Sri Lanka has played in while all bowlers put together have been thrashed for 772 runs.
It will not be a brain teaser or cracker to figure out that with defeats against Pakistan and South Africa ahead of the bigger matches, Sri Lanka’s chances of qualifying for the semi finals could be a foregone conclusion.
Sri Lanka’s showing in the first two matches have also not come as a surprise as the tour party was not announced until the day the 15-man squad boarded a flight for the World Cup along with a sight seer tourist in Chamika Karunaratne taken only as a replacement in case of injury to a squad member.
That the beleaguered captain Dasun Shanaka did not know how to defend 344 against Pakistan in what would have been a match-winning score for any other team, also raised questions.
With eventual match winner Mohamad Rizwan batting on one leg with cramps unable to fully move his feet, as well as an apparent spine strain, Shanaka did not have the presence of mind to station a slip and the lapse was proved when the batsman edged a ball from spinner Maheesh Theekshan that ended in a boundary at a crucial stage.
