SRI Lanka’s tour of England will stutter into life today with the start of their three-day fixture against Middlesex at Uxbridge.
With key batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene among five players still at the IPL the visitors won’t be at full strength until next week’s match involving the England Lions. Tillakaratne Dilshan has made it, but only just, having flown in from India yesterday and, like his senior batsmen in a week’s time, will be aiming to shake off his jetlag.
Sri Lanka’s new captain has tried to say the right things about wanting to lead from the front and the importance of this tour, yet it still feels like something of an inconvenience for them.
It’s not just the IPL proving a distraction. A number of off-field issues have emerged since the World Cup final including a host of administrative resignations.
Then there’s the potential of Hashan Tillakaratne’s match-fixing talk overshadowing proceedings should he decide to speak out.
Yet, there is plenty that should make this an intriguing tour from the visitors’ perspective. It’s a changing of the guard in Sri Lankan cricket.
Dilshan has taken over the leadership, but at 34 isn’t a long-term option, while Stuart Law is the interim coach for this trip. It is understood that he is reluctant to take the role full time.
Then, of course, there are the missing stars of the bowling attack.
Without Chaminda Vaas – currently showing he is still a quality performer with Northamptonshire – Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga, the touring party lacks stand-out performers with the ball, especially in the seam department.
With Dilhara Fernando, the senior paceman, one of those still at the IPL the match against Middlesex will be a chance for some of the fringe bowlers to stake an early claim.
Chanaka Welegedara is a left-arm quick who made his Test debut against England at Galle in 2007 and looked to have potential but has played just six Tests and has an average of 58. At 30, it’s now or never for him.
The younger options include Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal and all-rounder Thisara Perera. However, the warm start to the English season could help Sri Lanka because the spin bowling has more experience in the form of Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis, although the latter struggled in the County Championship for Somerset and was dropped from their four-day team after two matches.
Once Jayawardene and Sangakkara arrive they will, alongside Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera, form a solid core to the batting.
Without Angelo Mathews – the all-rounder ruled out until the one-day series – there may be one place up for grabs. Dinesh Chandimal, a 21-year-old, may head that list after making 1 000 runs in the domestic season in Sri Lanka, a feat not achieved for more than 10 years.
Their opposition over three days at Uxbridge won’t be at full strength, but will include England Test captain Andrew Strauss (as he now needs to be qualified with the three separate captains policy) with him playing his first game of the season after a post-winter break.
It is a chance for Strauss to sample some of the bowlers he’ll face at Cardiff in two weeks, but also an opportunity for the Sri Lankans to strike an early blow against him. At most, Strauss has four first-class innings before the first Test so will want to make the most of them.
Steven Finn, though, is being rested so the Sri Lankan batsmen won’t get a flavour of what tall English quick bowlers may do to them when the Test matches get under way.
Finn is unlikely to be in the England squad, but Chris Tremlett and Stuart Broad will be. The Uxbridge pitch, however, rarely offers much for the pace bowlers and a slow, low surface would make Sri Lanka feel more at home than they might expect. (ESPN Cricinfo)