Sri Lanka icon with the cherry, who holds the world record for the most number of wickets in international cricket, in Test and ODIs, Muttiah Muralitharan, said a mouthful when been shocked at the absence of opener Upul Tharanga from the 15-member squad for the I.C.C. cricket World Cup in 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
Murali knows what he is talking about, unlike the square pegs in round holes, in the panel of National cricket selectors, headed by its Chairman Sanath Jayasuriya, a cricketing legend.
In Ttharanga Sri Lankan cricket has an opener of proven material; he has an impressive one-day international record averaging just under 34, and a wealth of experience as an opener having 176 ODIs under his belt. He is ideal opener when it comes to crunch games.
Upul made his last appearance in the infamous five ODIs in India where Sri Lanka faced a humiliating 5-0 white wash. He was axed from Sri Lanka’s tour of England last year, and in the current tour of New Zealand he has been in and out of the Lankan team according to the whims and fancies of the selectors.
In this backdrop the selectors who have been groping in the dark to find the correct opening combination for the 2015 World Cup. What takes the cake in this scenario is that the selectors opted for one opener that of Dimuth Karunaratne, to partner Tillakaratne Dilshan in all the World Cup matches. The younger batsman lacks consistency and maturity to prove his potential at the highest level against the quality bowers of shear pace on the bouncy pitches in Australia and New Zealand with speed merchants of the caliber of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Mitchell Johnson to name a few. That’s why the selectors should have opted for Tharanga as an additional opener.
What would be the position if he is injured? Will the selectors have to turn to Lahiru Thirimanne, or that icon with the Willow, Mahela Jayawardene, which would be a risky gamble since if there is an early collapse, Mahela could steady the boat coming in at number four? Opting for Thirimanne will have a detrimental impact on the middle-order batting, which is fragile.
What motivated the selectors to pick on Dimuth K to partner Dilshan as opener? I reckon that was due to his maiden century in the first Test in Christchurch. One swallow does not make a summer. If you look at the other side of the coin, Dimuth fell for a second-ball duck in Christchurch and was dropped before he had reached double figures in the second innings. Had that catch been taken he would have been deprived of his maiden century and his hopes of cementing his place in the 15-member squad for the 2015 World Cup would have been wishful thinking.
Now that the damage has been done, in the light of the selectors having blundered, there is no purpose in crying over split milk. There is one more ODI against the Kiwis prior to the 2015 World Cup, where opener Dimuth must be given more exposure to show his skills and to meet the challenge of the fiery pacies.
He would be confronted with in the World Cup matches. I reckon he has the potential to turn things around in his favour as an opener to partner Dilshan and win the confidence of the selectors. Failures are the pillars of success.
