Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will commence their seventh bilateral One-Day International series at Rangiri Dambulla Stadium under lights today with the visitors hoping to carry their historic maiden Test win into the fifty-over format.
Of the six ODI series played between the two countries Sri Lanka have been dominant winning five of them and drawing one. The last series played in Bangladesh in February 2014 resulted in Sri Lanka winning 3-0. However since June 2014 Bangladesh’s approach to one day internationals has changed a great deal following the advent of former Sri Lanka cricketer cum coach Chandika Hathurusingha taking over as head coach.
Bangladesh are a far stronger and better one-day side than they were at one time. This was proved in what could be called their golden run of 12 wins in 15 ODIs from the 2015 Cricket World Cup where they qualified for the quarterfinals for the first time.
Although they have lost their last two ODI series to England (1-2) at home and (0-3) in New Zealand, they are certainly a handful to reckon with especially against a Sri Lankan unit that is unsettled and looking for consistency.
Sri Lanka will miss the services of two hard hitters of the leather Kusal Perera who is out with a hamstring injury and Niroshan Dickwella serving a two-match suspension imposed by ICC for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a T20I against Australia in Geelong. Dickwella has already missed the final T20 game against Australia at Adelaide and today’s game will be his second.
Apart from winning the one-day tri-nation in Zimbabwe last November Sri Lanka have notched up only one win in their last 15 bilateral ODIs against England, Australia and South Africa.
They have a lot to prove to get back to be a consistently winning unit. This series against Bangladesh will be their last before they participate in the ICC Champions trophy in England where they have a tough group to contend with in the likes of South Africa, India and Pakistan.
What is so glaring exposed with the Sri Lankan squad selected for the first two ODIs at Dambulla is the lack of a specialist off-spinner when one considers that Bangladesh have at least five top order left-hand batters in their ranks.
Instead what do we have? Two left-arm spinners (Sachith Pathirana and Lakshan Sandakan), a right-arm leg-spinner (Seekkuge Prasanna) with Dhananjaya de Silva and Dhanushka Gunathilaka as two part-time off-spinners who are expected to bowl during the 30 power play overs where only four fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. To make matters worse Gunathilaka has a cloud hanging over his bowling action.
Doesn't such major shortcoming throw into question the very foundation on which teams are picked and the integrity of the selection process?
In such circumstances the professionalism and credentials not only of the local staff but also the foreign coaching staff needs to be brought into question the way things are happening today. Did any one of these key personnel in the Sri Lankan support staff bother to study the composition of the Bangladeshi side? Or were they fast asleep in a happy fat cat slumber of complacency when it is the pride of a nation that is being tarnished due to their ignorance and incompetence.
On the other side of the coin Bangladesh have lately included their prolific off-spinner Mehedi Hasan into their squad to counter the threat the Lankan left-hand batsmen would pose.
A news agency report quoting Bangladesh chairnan of selectors: “Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said team management felt an off-spinner would work against Sri Lanka’s left-handed batsmen in the ODI series opener in Dambulla on Saturday. The composition of the Sri Lanka team suggested that we would need an extra off-spinner in the series,” Abedin was quoted as saying.
As Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland selections are getting curioser and curioser.
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ODIs against Bangladesh
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