A last-minute captaincy switch, late changes to the squad, top-order exodus and doubts over Lasith Malinga’s fitness have all left Sri Lanka in disarray, heading in to their World T20 defence

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Mar-20164:27

Arnold: SL bowlers skillful, but need confidence

Big pictureAfter arriving in India, Angelo Mathews had said he hadn’t been prepared to take up the captaincy, but as a senior, he mused, “How can [he] say no?” It is a strange situation. Sri Lanka have chosen their leader for the defence of a major international trophy the same way most people would nominate a sober driver for a night out. Expectations are also suitably low. Mathews may have taken plenty of chases home safely in the past, but this time it’s believed someone slicker will pick up the trophy.If T20 is the format of helter-skelter mayhem, then Sri Lanka’s approach to the tournament has set the standard. In eight matches played against Full Member oppositions this year, Sri Lanka have lost seven, and been captained by three different men. In the 24 hours before the team departed to India, they not only got a new captain and two fresh players, but a whole new selection committee as well (fans, though, might have been more at ease if Kumar Sangakkara had been rather than made a selector). The top order has been a jumble. The bowling spearhead’s joints seem to be in full-scale revolt. And Tillakaratne Dilshan may have gone overboard with his hair dye – though, you have to admit, it will go nicely with the new team kit’s warm colour palette.The outlook, however, is not totally hopeless. If Lasith Malinga can somehow recover in time to be a force in the campaign, Sri Lanka will still have the attack that was the bedrock of their T20 wonder years. Rangana Herath makes slow-motion dives in the outfield, but, on a good day, may still set rapid collapses in motion as well. Nuwan Kulasekara has lost his big inswinger, which is a bit like Coke not making their cola. Yet he is still gleaning profit from slower balls, yorkers and the away-seamer. They also have new kid Dushmantha Chameera. He may be built like the poles he is trying to knock over, but plenty of top batsmen have found out in recent months that his bouncer doesn’t mess around.Sri Lanka will also be hoping to rediscover that big-tournament mojo that spurred so many of their campaigns between 2007 and 2014. It would be fair to say that Sri Lanka have been the most dominant World T20 side, over the tournament’s five iterations. This time, though, they are grappling with a top-order exodus and a propensity to crumble to defeat from strong positions. They will need to spring a surprise to get to the semi-finals. A tournament triumph may require a string of small miracles – the first of which would ideally be performed on Malinga’s left knee.At the helmBecause being the most accomplished batsman and opening the bowling are not big enough jobs, Angelo Mathews has been given the captaincy as well. Among Sri Lanka’s concerns though, is his recent batting form. He had hit 81 not out against New Zealand in January, but was quiet through the Asia Cup. If he can return to his best in this tournament, Sri Lanka’s middle order may become formidable again.On the strategy front, Mathews’ conservatism has played a role in matches slipping away from Sri Lanka. Perhaps this is something that can be addressed by new coach Graham Ford – in whose first tenure Sri Lanka had played dynamic, attractive cricket.Key stat4
This is the number of T20Is Sri Lanka have won since the 2014 World T20 final, losing 10 in the same period. By comparison, in the two years up to that final, Sri Lanka had won 19 T20Is and lost just eight. It has been a dramatic slide.Leading menDinesh Chandimal had lost his place in the team during the last World T20, but is among the few players stringing together good performances ahead of this tournament. He does have his critics. Chandimal is aggressive in the longer formats, but is the kind of batsman who needs a few quiet overs in the middle before the boundaries flow. As such, there were questions as to why he would open the innings in T20s, but he helped alleviate those concerns with scores of 50, 37 and 58 in the Asia Cup. His glovework is on a steady incline as well, though sadly his appeals haven’t been as watchable recently.T20 is not a format made for Rangana Herath. Arguably, cricket was not a pursuit made for him either. Yet, through sheer power of will, he has excelled at both. Last time, in Bangladesh, Herath delivered arguably the greatest T20 spell so far. Though his limited-overs hauls have not been so dramatic in the years since, he has nevertheless been effective through the middle overs. Look for bowling figures like 1 for 21, or 0 for 18, and know that “Rangana was here”.Angelo Mathews will have to juggle multiple responsibilities as Sri Lanka look to regroup•AFPBurning questionThere are many questions this team needs to answer and almost all of them are burning. Let’s pick a few out of the inferno:Can Thisara Perera come good with bat or ball? In recent months, he has often been out cheaply, before delivering expensive overs.Is Tillakaratne Dilshan too slow at the top of the order now? His wiles have certainly grown sharper as his reactions have slowed, but those breakneck starts are becoming more infrequent.Can Sachithra Senanayake be a reliable second spinner? A pre-remodeled Senanayake was instrumental to Sri Lanka’s 2014 triumph, but how will the straight arm go this time? If pitches wear towards the end of the tournament again, Sri Lanka will need him to play a big role.Can the team cover for the lack of fielding quality from the big bellied? Herath and Malinga are vital to the attack, but may get around the field quicker if they rolled around horizontally.How can Dushmantha Chameera be used effectively? He has shown himself to be a wicket-taking bowler, but occasionally Sri Lanka have looked to him to contain.World T20 historyDespite the bleak outlook this year, Sri Lanka have had a knack of getting their act together when the tournament starts. They didn’t make huge waves in the 2007 edition, but have made the semi-finals in each of the four World T20s since then, and been finalists in three of those. Unsurprisingly, the tournament’s highest scorer (Mahela Jayawardene) and highest wicket-taker (Malinga) are Sri Lankan.In their own words”We found it really hard to even compete in the Asia Cup sometimes, and that is the truth we admitted. We didn’t play good enough cricket to get to the finals. But this is a fresh tournament for us. We have learnt so many things from the Asia Cup and we will take that experience going forward.”
– Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews