Sports

Sports

England – the ultimate tour
A cricketer is incomplete without a tour of England either as an individual or with a team. That country is the home of cricket and nothing could substitute playing over there.

Fourteen young Sri Lankans representing the national under nineteen team will fly to London, sometime mid next month. It is the best time of year for the game being the height of summer. This thirty day tour will be an enriching and unforgettable experience. Also, an under nineteen tour to England is a rare occurrence and these boys are blessed to be around this year. Preparations have been going on for a couple of months, with a number of practice games being played. All those who were involved in these games had fared well during the concluded school season. Sometimes figures can be deceiving. Players must be watched before being subjected to selection.

A good ploy was employed – to have two former national players as observers, to assist the National Selectors. This task was bestowed upon Norton Fredrick and Muttiah Devaraj. Two gentlemen with a thorough knowledge of the game. They have been dedicated servers in the sport and they spent time studying the players and making notes.

The selectors have plenty ammunition when it comes to picking a National team or an ‘A’ team because the players have been around for awhile and their strengths and weakness are well known. With a vast number of schools participating now, it is always possible that some players could be overlooked.
The Captain Angelo Mathews has come through the ranks and has been in junior National teams for along while. He is the frontline all-rounder and much is expected from him with both bat and ball.

The team’s strength is in batting. At least half-a-dozen in the make-up are natural stroke makers. They are bound to come-up against many medium pacies who wobble the ball around in the air and off the pitch. To prepare for that should be their main task in the forthcoming weeks.

There are a similar number of pace and medium pace bowlers, which is an indication that the selectors are relying on the quicker bowlers exploiting generally conductive conditions. The weather will play a part in that. Should it turn out to be a dry summer then the spinner will have a part to play. Left armer, Sachithra Pathirana is the front line spinner. He mainly drifts the ball towards the right hand batsmen. Now he needs to wrap his fingers around the ball and tweak it. Spin and genuine spin is the requirement.

A fourteen member squad deprives the side of an additional spinner or an all-rounder. Of course having fourteen means all will get a good share of the games. Often, important tours of his nature at this level creates a few stirs with protests from parents and well wishers (So far so good – none at this juncture). My mind goes back to an England tour in the early nineteen eighties when protests increased the selected squad of fifteen to twenty! Some of them had a joy ride around England! One of those who excelled on that tour and continued to do so was Arjuna Ranatunge! Its up to these youngsters now – an excellent tour and a whole new cricket extravaganza awaits.

Top