A well balanced squad for the WC

Asantha de Mel and the team of cricket selectors have done a splendid job in picking the squad of players who will carry Sri Lanka's Challenge to win the World Cup beginning in the Caribbean next month.

The selectors have announced a well balanced squad of 15 players and a close scrutiny will show that they are the best available at the moment.

The only player who has been omitted is Chamara Kapugedera. The selectors I am sure would have thought long and hard before omitting the youngster.

Kapugedera has been given enough of opportunities to cement his place. But as his form in New Zealand shows he has not grabbed the opportunity and scored heavily to be slotted into the Caribbean squad.

The selectors, it is apparent have picked the squad on present form. Favourites or blue-eyed boys did not rightly come into their picture.

The selectors no doubt have done their best. They are aware that they can't please all the players all the time. There will be the usual brickbats. The selectors have been in the game for long to duck these brickbats.

The World Cup comes once in four years and that is the trophy that all teams have been earnestly and diligently preparing to win. It was no different in Sri Lanka.

The selection of Dilhara Fernando is sure to come into question. That could be expected because his form is not what it should have been. In addition he has still not shed his no balling habit. And no balling is something that is unacceptable in limited over cricket. But then the selectors know better.

While most of the squad picks itself, it is good to see the inclusion of leg spinner Malinga Bandara, Russal Arnold and Chamara Silva.

Bandara has been neglected for far too long. In fact after the batting heroics of Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan in the second one-dayer against India, it was the clever dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar by Bandara that opened the victory doors for Sri Lanka.

One hopes that he will find a playing spot in the World Cup team. It is also nice to see the return of allrounder Russel Aronold. What Aronold requires is confidence. If he is given that he could be threatening.

Chamara Silva must make use of the opportunity and endeavour to come good if asked to don pads.

Now that the selectors have played their part, it is upto the players to deliver and bring home the World Cup like did Arjuna Rantaunga's team in 1995/96.

Aussies on the skid

After their stupendous success in the Ashes series in disgraced England's cricket, white washing them five nil, the Australians one day cricket nosedived surprisingly is the two easy victories achieved by England to win the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in the one day series is an indication.

The Australians who are the reigning one-day World cricket champions, must certainly be a worried outfit and immediately get back to the drawing boards and resurrect their cricket if they hope to continue their stranglehold in this style of game and also retain the World Cup.

The Aussies' sudden slump, goes to prove that cricket is a funny game.