Sri Lanka's tour to England, 2011

[Square Drive]

Let's hope Pom's to overrate us.. and to look nervous on the field. As soon as the lions see an opportunity, they wouldn't know what hit them. It regularly happen in ODIs.. :hysterical:

[Sir john]

i predict a draw series or English win.:cleveman:

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Sri Lankan cricket team faces a tall order without Murali, Malinga and Vaas More... Sri Lankan cricket tourists face a tall order without Murali, Malinga and Vaas The previous international cricket tour to England, by Pakistan last summer, was somewhat controversial. The next one, by Sri Lanka starting this week, could go the same way if their former Test captain Hashan Tillakaratne substantiates his recent claims about match-fixing being ‘a cancer’ in his country. Sorely missed: Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga has retired from Test cricket Scyld Berry 07 May 2011 Tillakaratne has plenty of scope. He was a member of a Rest of the World side that played a three-match series of one-day games in India in the 1990s. When the Queensland barrister Rob O’Regan investigated match-fixing in Australia, he appended to the end of his report a confidential chapter about the goings-on in this series. There is no suggestion that Tillakaratne was himself involved; but a couple of famous cricketers allegedly were. Tillakaratne’s whole career — he was Test captain in 2003-4 - was played out during the civil war in Sri Lanka when, as with every other war, truth was the first casualty. No journalistic or any other scrutiny was allowed of the country’s affairs in the interests of ‘national security.’ And even though the civil war ended two years ago, the same unhealthiness remains in the administration of Sri Lankan cricket. The country’s president and sports minister rule it, installing their favourites instead of organising elections. To this has to be added the vicious politicking said to be characteristic of islands — and Tillakaratne is now a politician himself, a member of the Western Provincial Council. Tillakaratne has said publicly he will name administrators as well as players when he testifies to the ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit. The ICC, however, are well aware of some of these administrators: one was head of the Sri Lankan board and a bookmaking company at the same time. Mercifully, the ICC changed their rules and stopped him becoming their president as well. Rumours swirled around Mumbai after Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final against India on April 2, relating to the extraordinary number of changes which Sri Lanka made to their team that had won the semi-final against New Zealand: no less than five. One was occasioned by injury, to their all-rounder Angelo Mathews, but the other four changes were unforced — notably the omission of Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner, who was the most economical bowler in the whole tournament of those who bowled ten overs or more. But, as always, rumours and allegations are one thing, while pieces of paper like itemised bank accounts are another. So it will be a surprise if Tillakaratne’s statements rock the boat in the next two months, much as his country’s politics may need rocking. But they will do nothing to enhance the stability of the national team, who have a new captain in Tillakaratne Dilshan. While the bulk of Sri Lanka’s touring party arrive on Wednesday and contest their opening match against Middlesex at Uxbridge on Saturday, the biggest names of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will complete their commitments in the Indian Premier League before arriving for the second (and last) warm-up game against England Lions. Not a prolonged and unified adjustment to conditions that will be novel for half the party. For the last two decades Sri Lanka have been powered — into the upper half of the Test table — by two bowlers, but not any more. Muttiah Muralitharan has retired with 800 Test wickets, although he will be flicking and spinning for Gloucestershire in the T20 competition while his countrymen are competing in the second Test at Lord’s. Chaminda Vaas is almost as much of a loss — and maybe he shouldn’t have been lost at all. At 37, he is still entitled to be called the foxiest bowler in contemporary cricket, so numerous are his variations of left-arm medium; and he scored over 3,000 Test runs in addition to his 355 Test wickets. Vaas is the only consistent attack-leader Sri Lanka have had. They hoped Lasith Malinga would take over, but the slinger has preferred the IPL’s lucrative pastures to the grind of five-day cricket and retired from it at 28. No Malinga, no Murali, no Vaas, and no Mathews, as brilliant a batting prospect as any in the world today, and a useful fourth seamer in English conditions, although he is expected to recover for the one-day series that follows. All the more weight will therefore fall on their new captain, who happens to be the most versatile player in international cricket. Dilshan began life as Tuwan Mohamed Dilshan, a member of Sri Lanka’s small Muslim community. Their minarets poke above Colombo’s downtown area around the Premadasa stadium, where the World Cup semi-final was staged. They are also known as the Malay community, and Dilshan — when he entered the Test team as a dashing middle-order batsman — was by far the most notable cricketer they had produced. Then he converted to Buddhism, and became Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan. He has been adaptable on the field too. He has kept wicket in Test matches. He has become a useful off-spinner, better than any spinner England had in the last World Cup apart from Graeme Swann. There has been no fielder better at point since Jonty Rhodes retired; and during the World Twenty20 in 2009, Dilshan went down on one knee so daringly and so often, to scoop pace bowling over his shoulder and helmeted head, that the stroke was named after him: the Dil-scoop. Dilshan is a leader by nature too. When the Sri Lankans’ bus was shot up by terrorists in Lahore in March 2009, Dilshan was at the front. As the driver continued to drive the bus, he had to duck below the windscreen to avoid being shot, and it was Dilshan behind him who looked over the parapet of seats and shouted to the driver, telling him to steer left or right. But to this courage and capacity for risk-taking which Dilshan has displayed in more than one way, there is a drawback. In 2009 he moved from the middle order to opening the batting, and scored 11 international hundreds in the year, much in the vein of Virender Sehwag: not much defence but such amazingly fast hands that it is usually the bowler who has to defend. Cricket evolves, new techniques emerge, but some things stay the same: and one of them is that dashing, really attacking batsmen do not make successful Test captains. They are stuck on the horns of a dilemma, without an abdominal protector. If they play their natural game and get out, they are accused of not setting an example and pilloried. It is probably too late for Dilshan, at 34, to consider a change of style in any event. He has to keep on playing his big shots and rely on his third-wicket pair of Sangakkara and Jayawardene to clear up. They once put on 624 together, against South Africa no less. But I still take England to win 2-0, as long as either Cardiff or Southampton allows a result.

[achilles]

I think it was smart of Kumar to opt out of captaincy at a high.

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Dilshan’s departure deferred: Sri Lankan squad departs for England without captain and vice-captain More... Dilshan’s departure deferred Jaipur: Newly appointed Sri Lankan skipper Tillekaratne Dilshan, who was reportedly considering leaving the IPL on Tuesday to join the England-bound national team, will play in Royal Challenger Bangalore’s match against Rajasthan Royals. Dilshan was reportedly keen to travel to England early to be there before the first tour game on May 14 although some of the senior players are joining late. But RCB captain Daniel Vettori, on Tuesday, said the Sri Lankan opener would take the field against Rajasthan Royals. “I thought he is leaving before this match but he would be available for Wednesday’s match so any question of replacing him does not arise,” Vettori said. More... Sri Lankan squad departs for England without captain and vice-captain By Staff Writers Sri Lanka's cricket team receives blessings from Buddhist monks during a religious ceremony in Colombo on May 10, 2011, prior to the team's departure for a tour of England. May 11, 2011 (Island Cricket): The Sri Lankan cricket team departed on Tuesday for their month long tour of England, where they will play three Tests and five ODIs against the hosts, followed by an ODI each against Ireland and Scotland in Edinburgh. Sri Lanka’s squad, which includes several Test debutants, departed without their newly appointed captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had earlier suggested that he would be returning early from the Indian Premier League (IPL). “Dilshan is keen to travel with the team, to try and create a bond as some of the senior players will be joining the squad a bit late,” his manager Roshan Abeysinghe told AFP last month. No statement has been made at this time by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over when the Sri Lankan captain will join the squad. Furthermore, the selection panel headed by Duleep Mendis failed to name a vice-captain when the 16-man Test squad to England was announced on April 20, creating a unique situation in Sri Lanka’s cricket history, where a Sri Lankan team has departed for an overseas tour without a captain or vice-captain.

[Cricket Tragic]

I think that SL players in the circus league will still play a practice game. That should be good enough.

[Square Drive]

Now Dilshan will leave the IPL with a positive mindset, after two decent knocks. But Sanga and Mahela.. :hehe:

[Cricket Tragic]

Looks like Bopara will be the new number 6 for England since he provides a seam bowling option that England are obsessed about. Hildreth has an outside chance while Taylor still needs some more FC cricket.

[Karan114]

If Bopara does well this summer and cements his place as the no.6, Morgan's decision to go to the tamasha will have proven even more costly. Given he was in the Ashes squad, he would have been the first choice no.6 at the start of the season.

[Cricket Tragic]

If he really cares about playing tests like he says that he does, it was a terrible decision to play in the circus league. He has one final shot in the Lions games coming up. He might still make it.

[Serani]

Fair to say the tour has not got off to a great start, struggling to take any wickets against Middlesex.

[Cricket Tragic]

Yeah, the bowling looks thin. A major worry heading into the test series.

[Pak_Forever]

England strong favorite to win the Test matches.

[FairCricket]

Middlesex v Sri Lankans at Uxbridge (3 day match) 2nd day Middlesex 360/8 dec Sri Lankans 155/0 (29.0 ov)

[saneindian]

Lankan batsmen have absolutely hammered the county team. Looks like the ECB has made sure they get to play on the flattest of pattas before unleashing the green tracks in the test matches.

[jairamesh]

lankans give it back some to middlesex...two retired not outs, and zero wickets taken!, SL batting seems to be in fine order, and can't really judge the bowling as to embarrassing pitch provided by ECB is hardly anything the lankans will face.

[Serani]

Lankan batsmen have absolutely hammered the county team. Looks like the ECB has made sure they get to play on the flattest of pattas before unleashing the green tracks in the test matches.

Its barely even a county attack, just some kids, nothing more than a net for the lankans.

[Cricket Tragic]

Its barely even a county attack' date= just some kids, nothing more than a net for the lankans.

Basically like Anderson and co. when the ball doesn't swing.

[Karan114]

Lankan batsmen have absolutely hammered the county team. Looks like the ECB has made sure they get to play on the flattest of pattas before unleashing the green tracks in the test matches.

Yeah, they even moved this match from Lords to a minor ground at the last minute to deny the Lankans an opportunity to get acquainted.

[Serani]

Basically like Anderson and co. when the ball doesn't swing.

Good one....