The Sri Lankan fans were surprised by the selection of Sanath Jayasuriya and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Chaminda-Vaas-c1223 in the preliminary World Cup squad but there is no hint whether the two veteran cricketers will be a part of the final 15 for the World Cup.
Both the cricketers have not played any competitive cricket for a long time and it would be difficult to find a spot in the team without proving form and fitness.
The chairman of the selectors for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 Aravinda De Silva wanted a combination of experience and youth in the 30-man preliminary squad and realising that, he announced the names of the two veteran cricketers.
De Silva said, “We felt that, in the 30 we need to have a combination of youth and experience. We have mainly considered performances and also, to a certain extent, experience. Putting everything together that is what we ultimately came out with.”
De Silva did not confirm any of the players from the 30-man squad in the final 15. According to him, the form and fitness of the players would be considered and if the experience would be required, they will go for it. Although the veteran cricketers Vaas
(36) and Jayasuriya (41) were considered, De Silva hinted that the selectors may go for the youth.
The Sri Lankan selectors have not considered Vaas and Jayasuriya in the recent past as Vaas last played his match in 2008 whereas Jayasuriya played in 2009. Both these cricketers are out of action for a while now and it is highly unlikely that they would
make it to the final 15. In the current Sri Lankan line-up, there are some exciting young fast bowlers who have performed very well and there are also some good batsmen who have shown their potential at the highest level.
De Silva also claimed that team unity is also a very important thing for a mega event such as the World Cup. He said that even if a player has been performing very well and has the potential to make it to the final 15, he would not be considered if he is
found guilty of creating some issues within the team. All the players in the final 15 would be the ones who play for the team as one unit.
The Sri Lankan team has performed well in the matches this year. The team would have liked to play five matches against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 before the announcement of the final squad.
De Silva further said, “Missing those five ODIs against West Indies was very crucial because we were really looking at an ultimate combination before picking up the final 15. There were things which we wanted to try in the five ODIs. It was very unfortunate
that we missed out but nevertheless, we have a basic idea of what we are looking for.”
De Silva stated that the selectors know their job and they are professionals. They will come up with a 15-member squad as the selectors know what they are looking for. It would have been a good opportunity to assess some things in the West Indies series
but the selection committee will still come up with the best 15.
The Sri Lankan team will be playing on venues which are also relatively new to the team. Due to this, the critics feel that the Sri Lankan team will lose the home advantage. De Silva totally disagrees with this idea as he feels that the conditions in Sri
Lanka are the same and the players are familiar with them. Even if there are unfamiliar conditions, the players are professionals and they know how to cope with them.
It will be exciting to see whether the likes of Jayasuriya or Vaas will be able to make it to the final squad or not. The selectors have hinted to prefer the youth but the final decision may be taken considering the capabilities of the veteran cricketers.
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