Rex Clementine in Dambulla
Innovative thinking has stood Sri Lanka in good stead and the national cricket team is contemplating a move to send captain Wanindu Hasaranga top of the order in the three match T-20 series in a bid to get some quick runs. The ploy was tried out during the Lanka Premier League and it worked for Hasaranga’s side. The first T-20 International begins today (Saturday) at Dambulla.
Dambulla is hosting an international game for the first time in six years. A new lighting system was installed at the venue and the ground has undergone a lot of change over the last few years.
Sri Lanka’s captain Wanindu Hasaranga stressed the need to keep improving the team’s fielding.
“I have been stressing that fielding is the most important thing for me as captain. We have put in a lot of effort. We have six more games leading up to the World Cup and every game if we can improve our fielding by ten percent, then by the time we get to the World Cup we will be in good shape,” Hasaranga told journalists.
Afghanistan have been disappointing so far in the tour losing all four games, but T-20 is their strongest format and Assistant Coach Rais Ahmadzai was confident of a better show.
“Last World Cup lot of people didn’t consider us as a strong side. It was a good answer for all the people who wrote us off. We have a lot of players involved in league cricket with nine of the guys involved in the IPL. That’s a lot of experience. We would like to finish top four or five in the World Cup and every team will worry playing Afghanistan,” Ahmadzai said.
Afghanistan have been missing their key bowlers Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman throughout the tour due to injuries.
“If any team has bowlers like Rashid and Mujeeb they can put pressure on the opposition. It is very good for other young players that if something happens for seniors you have replacement. If we had Rashid or Mujeeb the story would have been different,” he added.
Sri Lanka (Probable XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Dananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Matheesha Pathirana, Binura Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana.
Afghanistan (From): Ibrahim Zadran (Captain), Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Ishaq, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad and Wafadar Momand.