Labrooy feels Hathurusinghe mantra is working
Graeme Labrooy
Sri Lanka’s chief cricket selector Graeme Labrooy is of the opinion that cricket is mainly a game of self confidence and through the approach of new cricket Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, who has taken the reigns for four years, Sri Lanka’s national cricket is well on its way to recovery.
Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Times on Sri Lanka’s next phase and if the side is moving towards taking up the challenge for the 2019 World Cup, Labrooy said, “We are getting ready for the World Cup 2019. Coach Hathurusinghe’s focus is nothing but the World Cup and at the same time, he wants to breed Test players using the T-20s to be in the squad for the World Cup, in twelve months time.
“There are about 22 ODIs to be played before the World Cup. So who is going to make to the World Cup should have played sixteen to seventeen ODIs by then. That is why we are looking at wrist spinners like Wanindu Hasaranga and Jeewan Mendis because we want more wrist spinners coming into the game. For instance Akila Dhananjaya though he says that he is an off spinner, most of his deliveries are wrist, leg spin – he is a real mesmerising bowler. In fact batsmen like Kohli and Dhoni have given very high praise to the wiles of Dhananjaya, but they are of the opinion that he would be a much better bowler if he bowls leg spin. This happened when Dhananjaya troubled the Indian batsmen in a few games initially. So we want to breed good spinners and do so prior to the World Cup.”
Talking about the ideal composition Labrooy said, “We had Kusal Mendis opening the batting once again. This is the strategy adopted by the coach because these matches were played in Asia and on turning tracks. But, on quicker bouncy tracks Mendis won’t be opening. He will go either three or four.” He said these are the strategies that we are adopting.
He said the coach and the selectors have had lengthy discussions on these matters; “we want to understand the players and support them.”
When asked about who would be the best candidate for the captaincy, Labrooy said, “Yes, we took a call on Mathews. Unfortunately he got injured again. We are hoping that he would come back soon and hope that he will not get injured again. But, if he gets injured in the next couple of tournaments, we would need to go back to the drawing board, have a serious chat.”
We pointed out that with Roshen Silva batting so well now it’s becoming a problem to select the batting line-up. To that Labrooy said, “That is in the longer version of the game and that part of the job has been entrusted with Dinesh Chandimal – that is not an issue that is established. But, still we are looking at the ODIs and the T-20s.
“Coach Hathurusinghe has got Chandimal’s batting more potent and positive. Hathurusinghe is working on Chandimal’s shot selection so that he could stay abreast with the rest of the others. He would have to play that backbone role holding the side together, with a better strike rate. We all know that he can bat, the coach’s only challenge was to get his strike rate up. Anyway Mathews’ captaincy is there for him as long as he is fit. At the same time he is also doing a lot of training and other fitness regime along with his treatment.”
At the same time Labrooy says that Mathews is not expected to be in the bowling line up for the next six months. “Still we have the right combination even with Mathews not bowling. We have Asela Gunaratne while Thisara Perera has now come good – we consider that as a huge plus point.”
He added, “We think our combination is now formed and now the problem is we may have selection problems, but, we feel that is a strong plus point – to have good bench strength, just before the Bangladesh series we had them all back. We had Kusal Janith and Mathews in the batting line up. This is how we want it; what we need now is a lineup that is injury free. The former selectors had huge problems because they had loads of injuries.”
However Labrooy said that fast bowler Dhammika Prasad who was Lanka’s premier strike bowler had still a way off, while Kaushal Silva was given the opportunity, but failed to grab the opportunity. “We asked Kaushal to score runs and come back and he has done that now and he has to come back. But, once you keep the door opened which has brought in Dhananjaya de Silva and he is scoring a lot runs. Kaushal’s is a specific place – if you to pick him you have to pick him as an opener. May be the earlier message of hanging on to one end does not work anymore even in Test cricket. They have batsmen who score from both ends – if you don’t punish a bowler he gets on top of you. The good old style of holding on to one end does not work anymore.
“Opener Dimuth Karunaratne was scoring good runs, but, now he has failed in the last four innings and the pressure may be building on him. Yet, it’s good to have healthy competition. Now see in the middle now Roshen has come in and scored runs and has cemented his position and this is what we need. Now with Chandimal scoring runs Dickwella behind the stumps will have to think twice. Just imagine with Mathews and Kusal Janith also in the fray – this explains the problem of selecting the final playing Xl.”
When asked about the plight of fast bowler Lasith Malinga, Labrooy said, “First there has to be a need. Unfortunately for Malinga he does not play all forms of the game and the question is at his age whether he could sustain himself and if he is not bowling we have no way of finding out how he is performing. The club T-20 tournament is beginning and we have delayed the selection of Nidahas Trophy squad until those matches are over.”
On the whole within the next six to eight months the squad would go on a trial-and-error basis and eight months before our World Cup we will have our squad for the 2019 World Cup. Right now we have about twenty in our mind and the fifteen will come once we are certain.