Sri Lanka have produced some stirring performances in Pakistan, with several young players putting their hands up when it matters. At a time when Sri Lanka Cricket has introduced measures to raise standards, the team’s response on the field is encouraging. They booked their place in the final with a game to spare and although they lost their last league fixture, a total of 331 suggested that the batting is beginning to find its gears.
The final, followed by tours to New Zealand and India, will offer a clearer picture of where Sri Lanka stand in ODI cricket. More importantly, they need meaningful preparation ahead of next year’s World Cup in Africa if they are to give a good account of themselves. Those building blocks must be put in place now.
That Sri Lanka have come this far without their leading batter, Pathum Nissanka, makes their efforts all the more satisfying. Into the bargain, Kusal Mendis, so often their batting mainstay in white ball cricket in recent years, has had a relatively quiet tournament. Others have stepped up to carry the load.
Avishka Fernando’s return, complete with match winning contributions, has been heartening. The hope is that his ODI success does not automatically earn him a ticket back into the T20 side. That would risk taking us back to square one. Success in one format need not be a passport to another.
The brightest spark, though, has been Pavan Rathnayake. With more than 350 runs, including two hundreds and a fifty, he leads the tournament’s scoring charts. Even without a substantial contribution in the final, he could finish top of the pile. For a youngster finding his feet at this level, that would be quite a statement.
With Janith Liyanage looking assured lower down the order and Sahan Arachchige showing that he, too, has something to bring to the table, Sri Lanka’s batting is beginning to have a healthier look. There is competition for places and less dependence on the usual suspects.
The fielding, however, still needs sharpening. A tidier effort might have kept England below 350 in the last league game. Sri Lanka cannot afford to give away runs with the generosity of a benevolent uncle. Greater energy, sharper anticipation and safer hands are essential if they are to turn promising performances into consistent results.
There were questions about their planning, too. With a place in the final already secured, the decision to field a full strength side in a dead rubber was difficult to fathom. Surely there was room to rest a few players, particularly some of the quicks.
Having spent much of the tournament chasing, batting first on Thursday would also have been a useful exercise. A final can throw up any number of challenges, and it pays to have rehearsed more than one script.
The chase of 430 will be spoken about for years. The manner in which Sri Lanka hunted down that mountain of runs was breathtaking and offered a glimpse of what this batting unit can achieve when belief matches ability. The task now is to finish the job and ensure the white ball players leave Pakistan having made a telling impression.
Gary Kirsten’s planning has otherwise been impressive on this tour, while Kusal Mendis has won admirers for his growing maturity in the field and the assurance with which he has led the side. There are signs of a captain becoming comfortable in his own skin.
Sri Lanka still have plenty of ground to cover. One good tournament does not mean all the old cracks have disappeared. But these are steps in the right direction, and after spending too long taking one forward and two back, that is good to see.
