Good opportunity for selectors to experiment

Chris DHAMBARAGE

CRICKET: Sri Lanka are likely experiment with a couple of new players for the up coming three match one day international series against Pakistan which will be worked off in Abu Dhabi later this month.

The national selectors are certainly facing a dilemma in picking the squad with some of the star players not available for this tour as they will be leaving for England to compete in the English County season.

Sri Lanka’s champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will turn out for Lancashire while paceman Chaminda Vaas and wicket keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara will represent Middlesex and Warwickshire respectively.

In fact Muralitharan had a successful World Cup in the West Indies where he emerged as the second best bowler behind Australia’s Glen McGrath with a tally of 23 wickets from ten matches.

In addition he passed another huge milestone in his illustrious career while capturing 450 wickets in one day internationals.

Chaminda Vaas also made a lasting impression at the World Cup while Kumar Sangakkara emerged as one of the most successful wicket keepers apart from his solid batting in the middle order.

With left hander and middle order batsman Russel Arnold retiring from international cricket and Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu having committed their immediate futures to Lashings World XI, the national selectors are facing a tough task in selecting the best available side for the Abu Dhabi series.

The Sri Lankan trio will play for the Lashings World XI this season with their opening fixture scheduled for May 25.

They will have the privilege of playing alongside some of the reputed names like Chris Harris (New Zealand), Richie Richardson (West Indies), Henry Olonga (Zimbabwe), Greg Blewet (Australia) and Rashid Latif (Pakistan).

The opening match of this hastily arranged series was earlier scheduled for May 9 but was later postponed for at least one week.

The postponement of the series was requested by Sri Lanka Cricket after the team which emerged runners up at the World Cup were delayed at the Heathrow Airport on their way back home from the Caribbean.

The matches would now be played on May 18th 20th and 22nd as the Sri Lankans had requested for some rest for their team members following their long World Cup campaign.