Following the disastrous tour of South Africa the Sri Lankan selectors have been compelled to make three changes to the squad for New Zealand with recalls for Eric Upashantha, who is not even on the Sri Lanka A tour of Kenya, Kumar Dharmasena and Ruchira Perera.
With Aravinda De Silva having already joined the squad in place of Upul Chandana the selectors have looked to bolster the fast bowling department, which has so far proved disappointing on the tour.
Nuwan Zoysa has been out of sorts, Dilhara Fernando has been wayward in the one-day matches, Kaushalya Weereratne has simply looked out of his depth, and Pramodya Wickramasinghe is looking a tired old warhorse.
In the event, Wickramasinghe is the only fast bowler to have been dropped. Mudalige Pushpakumara, who has been making up the numbers so far on the tour, also returns home with Tillekaratne Dilshan, who once again appears to have become the scapegoat for the failures of others.
These are difficult times for the Sri Lankan team. The coach and players don't carry defeat well and despite remaining publicly upbeat, confidence is clearly low. The changes were clearly necessary and could breathe new life into the team.
Whether the decision to omit De Silva from the original squad was correct or not, the decision to include him now, is surely right. Despite worries about his fitness and valid questions about his attitude, he remains the best batsmen in Sri Lanka. His prescence in the side will give confidence to the other batsmen and take a weight of Jayasuriya's shoulders.
Kumar Dharmasena's selection is a shrewd move. The Bloomfield all rounder, who is currently captaining the A team in Kenya, was thrust back into international cricket last year when his bowling action was finally cleared by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board. He failed to impress with both bat and ball and appeared to find it difficult to readjust to the rigours of international cricket.
However, since being dropped from the squad he has returned to domestic cricket and appears to have re-captured his best form. He has been the most consistent run scorer in the Bloomfield side and has mucked in with valuable wickets. Dharmasena remains a young man his selection in no way represents a step backwards. Sri Lanka needs quality players and he is one.
The Management in South Africa had previously requested Ruchira Perera, but the selectors had turned the request. With Weereratne and Wickramasinghe being so innocuous there was a real need for some extra artillery. Perera offers Jayasuriya an attacking option. The left arm fast bowler is brisk enough to hurry international batsmen and aggressive enough to put his natural pace to good use.
Eric Upashantha has been shuttled in and out of the Sri Lanka side in recent years, but has yet to prove that he can bowl six balls in the same place. He has potential, but Sri Lanka now need dependable men. Without them, consistency will remain a distant dream. At least Upasthantha can boast genuine talent with the bat.
Sri Lanka are now one match away from a series white wash in the one-day internationals. It is hard to see them winning. It would take a Herculean performance from one of the senior men to reverse their cursed run in South Africa. However, the thought of New Zealand will surely lift the team's spirits. The place is an all-together more pleasant place to play cricket and with new men having being added to the team, they will be able to make a fresh start.
© Cricinfo
| Teams | Sri Lanka. |
| Players/Umpires | Kumar Dharmasena, Eric Upashantha. |
| Tours | Sri Lanka in South Africa Sri Lanka in New Zealand |
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