Sri Lanka ended in ninth place at the World Cup out if ten teams and failed to qualify for 2025 Champion trophy cricket tournament in Pakistan. However there were a few positives.
Few young players really performed well and that is a great achievement for Sri Lanka team and they are real investment for future said Chairman of the Selection committee Promodya Wickramasinghe. We had a vision to pick more young players for this world cup and selected them based on their performance and they always maintained their fitness.
The former National fast bowler who was a member of 1996 world cup champion team said young Dilshan Madushanka is the find of the team. We had good system and our provincial selection committee (Ajith Ekanayake, Suwanji Madanayake, Nalliah Devarajajan, Duminda Wickramasinghe and Chandana Guruge) doing excellent job in talent search from the domestic tournaments and we discussed with them before the team selection.
The left arm medium paceman Dilshan Madushanka is the find of this world cup and he showed his potential during the league matches. Madushanka the 23 year old paceman hailing from Hungama in Hambantota district came up with fine performance having 21 wickets and only second to Australian leggie Adam Zampa who has taken 22 wickets. Madushanka took his best figures of 5 for 80 in their losing game against India at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He was also the match winner against Netherlands having 4 for 49 and against Bangladesh he took 3/69 and against Australia took 3/38.
Madushanka was spotted by Manjula Karunaratne the former Hambantota district coach who sent this young bowler to Hambantota Mahinda Rajapaksa International cricket stadium where Sri Lanka under 19 players were training at that time.
The under 19 fast bowling coach Chamila Gamage was keen to watch Madushanka’ s skills and then this young bowler got a chance to meet Chaminda Vaas the legendary Sri Lankan fast bowler and that was the turning point of Dilshan Madushanka.
Madushanka was a member of National under 19 team where Chamila Gamage gave guidance to Madushanka and then in Colombo Chaminda Vaas is his mentor up to date.
The first world cup for Madushanka was very successful and this is the result of our youth policy in National selection and the left arm paceman used his best effort to come up said Chairman of National selection committee Promodya. When we selected young players there were many obstacles for us and some people criticised our selection policy. Madushanka was among the wickets at Colts CC and provincial selection committee members spotted his talent.
We gave this young bowler a chance we saw Dushmantha Chameera was injury prone and first we used Madushanka for Sri Lanka A team for the South Africa A team series and he impressed in that series and his Sri Lanka A team performance paved the way to enter National side for world cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe and he was among the wickets and selected for National one day squad for World cup.
I really enjoyed this world cup and happy to get highest wickets of the team .I came back strongly against Netherlands and got four wickets haul to win the man of the match award. We always had a plan and really bowled well .When I can get good support from one end I can bowl from opposite end successfully. All coaches and team members gave good support to get success added Madushanka.
Dharshana Gamage the present National team fast bowling coach said Dilshan Madushanka is very talented bowler having good future and we wanted to protect this young bowler and guide him.
Dilshan had to to play key role as a fast bowler played all nine matches and good to see he was among the wickets in this World Cup.
Dhammika Ratnaweera reporting from India