SPIN TAKES A BACK SEAT

As the Sri Lankan team prepares to embark on a tough assignment to Australia, it is a rare occurance when the squad will have only one specialized spinner. No doubt Muttaih Muralitharan will play in all the games and will bowl his quota of overs unless the state of the game does not require him to do so. Since Muralitharan established himself in the national team another spinner has often been not required or not selected.

Only Upul Chandana had a reasonable run but it was an on, off association with the team. He was in the forefront on occasions when Murali was not available due to injury and in fact had one successful tour of Australia. During that period Rangana Herath also got a look in for a few games but disappeared fairly quickly. Currently two leg spinners Malinga Bandara and Kaushal Lokuarachchi are in the wings and experiencing the same treatment. It must be frustrating for them.

The days of using two and even three spinners (in test matches) are no more. Naturally, there is no chance of it happening in one day cricket. India boasted of a famous quartet in the early nineteen seventies. Bishen Singh Bedi, Erapali Prasanna, Baghwat Chandrasekar and Sirinivas Venkatragavan went wherever the team toured. Still it is only India who quite regularly used two tweakers, in Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.

Australia were in the same situation as Sri Lanka when Shane Warne occupied the spinners berth. In the early days Tim May was around and he quit when Warne began to assert himself. Stuart McGill appeared, but two leg spinners were rarely required. McGill got some opportunities when Warne was sidelined through injury and suspension. When Warne hung up his boots McGill also had reached his “use by” date. He looked quite ordinary when playing against the Sri Lankans in the two test matches late last year. Now, left arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg has got an opportunity against the Indians. He has allround capabilities to back his selection. Still no replacement for Shane Warne. Australia, with their powerful pace battery are a very dominant bowling force on their home conditions. The test will be when they tour overseas, particularly the sub continent.

Six quick bowlers will make their way to Australia to deliver against the home team and the Indians. Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga will lead the attack. Vaas will have to use all his experience and clever variations, against two strong batting outfits. He will bowl most of his overs at the start of his innings and then come back for another burst at the death. Malinga will also be used whilst the ball is new and then again sometime in the middle, according to the situation of the game. He too will be required to bowl at the end when the slog is on.

A third bowler will have to make it to the playing eleven. Fervez Maharoof is the front runner for that position. He is back after injury during the test tour of Australia and has had a few games in the provincial tournament. It will be necessary for him to work on getting match fit as the heat will be on from the first game itself and every spell will be important.

Chanaka Welagedara, Nuwan Kulasekera and Ishara Amerasinghe make up the pace battery. It is unlikely they will be required first up. Injury and lack of form would be the two main reasons for them to get an opportunity. All three of them have been included because of their showing in domestic games and ‘A’ team games over a period of time.

The selectors must have debated the inclusion of another spinner for a paceman, but have decided that pace is best for this tour. The next, to the West Indies in March/April could well be different. Malinga Bandara, Kaushal Lokuarachchi and all the other aspiring spinners have the domestic four day club tournament to be occupied and persevere. It is a tough journey for spinners in world cricket at present.