``I am looking to build a good and decent squad of quicks. That is all we need for the next couple of years,'' was the view of Sri Lanka's Australian-born coach Bruce Yardley.
``Next year we go to South Africa, England and Australia and it is seam and swing that will be required under those conditions,'' said Yardley.
Wickremasinghe's inclusion for the Indian tour would have surprised many, but he was the best available to make up the four-man pace squad, when the national selectors got wind that India were planning to prepare seaming pitches for the three-Test series, as the return of Javagal Srinath from injury, is imminent.
Wickremasinghe, Chaminda Vaas, Sajeeva de Silva and Ravindra Pushpakumara form the Sri Lankan fast bowling squad in India.
There is no doubt that Yardley had a hand in Wickremasinghe's return to international cricket.
``Pramodya was the first to admit that he averaged something close to 50 for his 47 wickets in 24 Test matches. I said to him why would you bust your guts off a long run, especially on these Sri Lankan pitches. All what Kapil Dev did was bowl outswingers off an economical run and, he went on to take 434 wickets,'' said Yardley.
``Kapil would take wickets in Sri Lanka because he swung the ball and encouraged batsmen to drive him. In the last month or so, Pramodya has shown us that he has really got the outswinger going, coming off a shorter run,'' he said.
Wickremasinghe's career seemed on the line, after the tour of New Zealand early this year, when on a green top he could no better than finish with one wicket for 117.
``His line and length was bad and he wasn't balanced. From what I've seen of Pramodya in the past, I always felt that he wasn't balanced properly at the point of delivery. If you have a look at him now off a shorter run-up, he looks terrific. He's got the outswinger going and it is really swinging,'' said Yardley.
``What I like about Pramodya is that he had gone away and thought about it and shortened his run to get better balance. If someone loses his place in the team, I don't go to him. I let him think about it for a while because these guys for a start, must start thinking for themselves, and working it out what went wrong, instead of running to the coach all the time,'' he said.
With teenage left-arm fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa shaping up well from his back trouble (he has been given time off to strengthen his back and leg muscles), and another young left-armer Chetaka Perera showing some promise, the fast-medium bowling department looks bright.
But according to Yardley, all this effort wouldn't make much difference unless there is a change in pitch preparations at home.
``We'll have to start turning things around by leaving a bit more grass on home pitches,'' said Yardley.
Another player whom Yardley is helping out with, is leg-spinner Upul Chandana.
``Work is being done on Chandana to convert him from a one-day bowler to a Test bowler. We have been working hard on it since the time I arrived,'' said Yardley.
``I've changed his action a bit to make it more side-on. Once, at practice I told him: 'Look here, I just want you to bowl like in a Test match'. He was bowling to Dulip Liyanage, who was getting after him. I told Chandana to drift the ball away from Liyanage and spin it back. Chandana knocked Liyanage over twice in six balls. I told him he have to be more patient to do that six balls in a row, and he did it. I think he is just about ready to bowl at Test level,'' said Yardley.
When Yardley took Chandana under his wing, he had only two deliveries - the leg-break and a quicker ball. Now he has added the wrong 'un and the flipper to his repertoire.
Yardley, who is on contract with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board until the next World Cup in 1999, said Sri Lanka's spin attack for the next couple of years would revolve around Muthiah Muralitharan, Kumara Dharmasena and Chandana.
``A lot of people think that when we play Muralitharan and Dharmasena, they are two off-spinners. What I am trying to covince people is that they are two completely different bowlers,'' he said.