Sri Lanka Cricket Discussion Thread

[SimplePass]

mathews was still over paid though

[Creative Artist]

^^^ good for the bugger. We usually gets underpaid.

[Kiri]

Go ahead and pick the order with which you think SL has the best chance of progressing as far as they can.

Mahela
Dilshan
Sanga
Chandi
Thiri
Mathews
Tharanga
Perera

[Nismo7]

Cannot have Chandi Thiri Tharanga Mahela who are all one dimensional players, IE they can't contribute with the ball. Yes Thiri did, yet that was more of him wanting to bowl. Thisara should always be no7, his bowling isn't good enough to be a no8.

Mahela and Mathews should be 5 and 6, we need 2 attackers for 5 and 6.

Thiri
Dilshan
Sanga
Tharanga/Chandi
Mahela
Mathews
Thisara
Sena
Herath
Lakmal
Malinga

4 pacers 3 spin, Our batting isn't powerful enough to chase 300, or defend 260. So we as much bowlers as possible.

[acisking]

(02-25-2015, 08:55 PM)Nismo7 Wrote:  Cannot have Chandi Thiri Tharanga Mahela who are all one dimensional players, IE they can't contribute with the ball. Yes Thiri did, yet that was more of him wanting to bowl. Thisara should always be no7, his bowling isn't good enough to be a no8.

Mahela and Mathews should be 5 and 6, we need 2 attackers for 5 and 6.

Thiri
Dilshan
Sanga
Tharanga/Chandi
Mahela
Mathews
Thisara
Sena
Herath
Lakmal
Malinga

4 pacers 3 spin, Our batting isn't powerful enough to chase 300, or defend 260. So we as much bowlers as possible.

That'd be my lineup choice too. I like Sena because he's a decent bat at number 8 too.

[Bunzz]

Berenger not given up on Sri Lankan dream







Allaam Ousman

UAE cricketer Andri Berenger has not given up on his dream of playing for Sri Lanka again as he seeks to shine on the biggest stage.

"My personal goal is to get a ton in the World Cup. After that if I get a call-up back to Sri Lanka, I might go," said the 22 year-old opening batsman who represented Sri Lanka at the Youth World Cup five years ago.

Having been born and brought up in the UAE to long-time Sri Lankan expats, as destiny would have Berenger got an opportunity to serve his country of birth in the ongoing World Cup.

"I always dreamt of playing in the World Cup but playing for UAE is a different thing. It's a great feeling no matter where you are playing. But I still have dreams of playing for Sri Lanka since I'm only 22," said Berenger without pulling any punches.

UAE qualified to play in only their second World Cup after 19 years and with the International Cricket Council planning to reduce the teams to 10 at the next edition, there is very little hope for players with ambitions like Berenger.

An attacking right-hand batsman, Berenger showed his pedigree by scoring two half centuries during the one-day series against Afghanistan last year including a highest score of 66.

He is determined to make a point in the World Cup Down Under showing his tough qualities after being struck on the helmet while scoring a nervy 22 in the opening match against Zimbabwe.

Son of a former Sri Lanka boxing champion Kenham Berenger, Andri is inspired by his father's positive attribute in life.

"My role model is my father. He is very positive. I couldn't be a boxer because my father wanted me to play cricket," said Andri in an interview with Emirates 24|7 before his departure for the World Cup.

He is relishing the prospect of playing against world champions India.

"Playing against Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni... it is a totally good feeling," he said.

Berenger strongly believes UAE can advance to the next round.

"It would also be brilliant to meet Sri Lanka. Another thing would be icing on the cake if I get runs against them. It will be a great opening for me to go back to Sri Lanka," said Berenger wistfully.

"We have mentally prepared in last four-six months. We have played some wonderful series. We had some wonderful coaches such as Paul Collingwood, Paul Franks and head coach Aaqib Javed. We have a good set up and it's about delivering the goods," he said.
- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=sports/berenger-not-given-sri-lankan-dream#sthash.Lji20vg5.dpuf

[Bada]

They dropped him for the next match after those statements. Moronic to say that while you're playing for UAE. I'd have dropped him for good.

[SunJ]

(03-07-2015, 03:27 AM)Bada Wrote:  They dropped him for the next match after those statements. Moronic to say that while you're playing for UAE. I'd have dropped him for good.

I wouldn't cheer a single run he made if i was a UAE supporter after that. Disrespectful.

[The One]

Rex Clementine

reporting from Sydney

One of the great success stories of Sri Lankan cricket is their coaches’ ability to think out of the box. Sri Lankan coaches have encouraged players with unorthodox styles and those players have gone on to become world beaters. A study done by an Australian University recently showed that players such as Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya would have been over coached had they been in places like England or Australia and their natural talent would have never emerged.

Prior to the ongoing World Cup, the Sri Lankans made use of a psychologist to help their players. Englishman Jeremy Snape was brought back for the World Cup as well and he has helped the players to prepare for the challenges better.

Snape is a former England cricketer having played first class cricket for over 19 years and upon retirement he went on to complete a Masters Degree in Psychology.

"Psychology has been a huge part of cricket with the pressures and the expectations. Due to the television, it feels like there’s no hiding place as everything is being measured, everything’s being filmed and everything being analysed by all the former captains around the world. So it can feel a really pressurised place. Underneath all that, players still have their best game to play and part of my job is to strip away a lot of the noise on the outside and make them focus on just their best game," Snape told ‘The Island’.

Watching television highlights we get to watch the wickets and boundaries. Snape has made the players realise that the moments that don’t fall into the highlights package are equally important. He calls those moments the ‘lowlights’.

"We tend to watch the television and watch the highlights which are the bowler running up and the batsman hitting a four. I am interested in the lowlights; the time between balls. As the bowler walks back to his mark what he is thinking. As he turns, what decision has he made? Is he really sure or is he in two minds. The batsman; can he take a risk or can he take a single? What does he do when he steps away to square leg? I am interested in those things because the lowlights make the highlights bright."

One of the players who benefited immensely from Snape’s sessions was Dinesh Chandimal.

"Dinesh is a very talented player with lots of expectations and that can be a burden. We’ll know how good he can be but it’s about creating consistency. So if you want consistent performances, we need a consistent approach. If you want a consistent approach, you need a consistent thinking style. He’s been very good at working hard on a routine between balls where he thinks the same things. He asks himself the same question. What does the team need? How do I play according to my strengths? How do I stay calm for this next ball? All these things we worked one on one together. He worked very hard at it. Just like playing the pull shot or the cut shot, it’s a mental skill. It was great to see him playing so well against Australia. A real shame that he got injured and I think he would have won the game if not."

Snape has told Sri Lankan players to have several options and then to choose one among those options. Preparation for him is as important as execution.

"First of all we have got a lot of options. Should I bowl a bouncer, a yorker, a slower ball? Should I change the field? Lots of decisions and then from that noise we need to pick one and be super focused on that one because if we are thinking about two or three, we’ll never get it right. We need to pick one and get 100 percent committed to it and then execute the skill."

Snape believes that Kumar Sangakkara has one of the strongest mindset among contemporary cricketers.

"I’ve interviewed Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya for the players and asked them about their thinking. I have got them to speak on their nerves and when they failed, when they built really strong innings and all that. So we have done it in a group over a team meal and the players have loved it. I asked the questions in English and the answers are in Sinhalese.

Snape had worked with South Africa for nearly three years. One of the questions that all cricket fans have is that why the Proteas choke during crunch games. "It’s a difficult one. It’s like the New Zealand All Blacks. For some time, they won everything but the World Cup. South Africa are a very strong side. They’ve been building a strong system for the last five years. They have got some really talented players so they are a very dangerous side.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=121275

[Bunzz]

Chamika and Lasith to play in Middlesex Premier League

SLC confirmed that The two all-rounders Chamika Karunarathne of Royal College, Colombo and Lasith Lakshan of St.Thomas College, Matara who did well in the recently concluded U19 two-day League Tournament have been picked by the UK Committee out of the seven players nominated by SLSCA to take part in the “Overseas Player Program” to be conducted in England. These two players have been selected to play in the Premier League of the Middlesex County cricket championship under the “Overseas Player Program” that has been initiated with a view to providing opportunities for overseas players to enhance their cricketing skills by playing cricket in England at the highest level.