The national cricket selectors continued their campaign for youth when they picked two uncapped spinners, dumped one drop batsman Roshan Mahanama and named a new vice-captain in the 14-member squad for the first cricket Test against New Zealand starting at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
Tamil Union's 22-year-old left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratilake and 18-year-old schoolboy right-arm leg-spinner Malinga Bandara from Kalutara Vidyalaya will join ace spinner Muthiah Muralitharan in forming the core of the Sri Lanka bowling in the absence of a proper pace pair.
Bandaratilake made his credentials clear early this year in the series against England 'A' and once more reminded the selectors that he was Test material when he captured seven wickets for the Board President's XI in the three-day game against New Zealand which ended last Thursday.
Bandara took three for 100 off 28 overs in the three-day game against the tourists which concluded in Kandy on Sunday, but all his wickets were from the New Zealand top order. The selectors included him in the team for Kandy with a view that New Zealand have a weakness against leg-spin, and it seems they have retained him in the Test side for the same reasons. Bandara was a member of the Sri Lanka team that participated in the Under 19 World Cup in South Africa early this year.
The selectors have also included all-rounder Ruwan Kalpage in the squad, but he has been picked as a batsman/bowler. Kalpage, who is a left-hand bat will be used at number seven to blunt the left-arm spin of Daniel Vettori and possibly Mark Priest if he plays. Kalpage whose previous selections to the national side was as an off-spinner may also be called upon to bowl if the circumstances demand.
Following a series of low scores, the selectors have finally decided to drop Mahanama. The middle-order batsman who was promoted to take the number three spot after the retirement of Asanka Gurusinha, has not been in good form and his failures in South Africa was the last straw. Since Sri Lanka won the World Cup in March 1996, Mahanama has crossed the fifty mark only thrice in 26 Test innings. This includes a career best 225 which he made against India on the same ground last year and, shared in a world record second wicket partnership of 576 with Sanath Jayasuriya, enabling Sri Lanka to record the highest total in Test cricket - 952 for 6. It seems the wheel has turned a full cycle for Mahanama since those heady days.
Mahanama's place in the order will be occupied by Mahela Jayawardene, who batted in the position with success in the two Board President's XI matches against New Zealand. With four wickets in the Kandy game, bowling his gentle medium-pacers, Jayewardene is expected to share the new ball with Pramodya Wickremasinghe in the absence of a regular fast bowler.
One could say it was a wise choice by the selectors not to choose any of those who were on display in the two Board President games, because for one, they did not justify inclusion with their performances, and two, they would have bowled only a handful of overs considering the R. Premadasa Stadium pitch which is a heartbreak for bowlers.
Aravinda de Silva, who was Ranatunga's long-standing vice-captain makes room for Sanath Jayasuriya who has been appointed to the post. The appointment can be seen as a positive move by the selectors with a view to the future. In the two occasions Jayasuriya has been given the opportunity to lead the side - against Zimbabwe in the third one-day international and against New Zealand in Kandy, he has led from the front with a blazing blade.
SRI LANKA SQUAD OF 14 FOR 1ST TEST
Age Tests A. Ranatunga, (SSC) (c) 34 78 S.T. Jayasuriya, (Bloomfield) (vc) 28 34 M.S. Atapattu (SSC) 25 16 D.P.M. Jayewardene (SSC) 20 2 P.A. de Silva (NCC) 32 70 R.S. Kaluwitharana (Colts) 28 18 R.S. Kalpage (Bloomfield) 28 9 G.P. Wickremasinghe (SSC) 26 27 M. Muralitharan (Tamil Union) 26 38 M.R.C.N. Bandaratilake (Tamil U) 23 0 C.M. Bandara (Kalutara Vidyalaya) 18 0 R.P. Hewage (St. Benedict's/NCC) 19 0 S.A. Perera (SSC) 20 0 I.S. Gallage (CCC) 22 0