The Magician's absence doesn't mean Sri Lanka aren't real contenders

Twenty20 World Cup / Editor / 10 September 2007 / Leave a Comment

Mike Tombs explains why Sri Lanka have the necessary weapons to go far in the competition despite the absence of their talisman Muralitharan

Having reached the final of the World Cup earlier this year, Sri Lanka will be hoping to go one better in the ICC World Twenty20 ICC 20/20 in South Africa this month but will have to do so without Muttiah Muralitharan. There was a time when Sri Lanka were a vastly different side without their favourite spinner, but those days have largely passed and their settled squad should be considered as contenders by virtue of a solid batting line-up, varied bowling attack and far more international experience than most sides can boast. Additionally, Sri Lanka are far from alone in entering this tournament without one of their leading players, for a variety of reasons. Anyone picking a squad of the most significant international cricketers from the last few years would almost certainly include Jacques Kallis, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Stephen Fleming, Shoiab Akhtar, Mohammad Yousuf. Not to mention Inzamam-Ul-Haq and Marcus Trescothick along with the recently retired Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer, all of whom will be conspicuous by their absence over the coming weeks.

Up until now there have only been 16 international Twenty20 matches, a number which will be more than trebled in the next couple of weeks. Although Sri Lanka were one of the few countries to act swiftly on this format's seemingly instantaneous success, by adding it to their domestic structure in 2004, few of their squad have featured in this due to their commitments for their country. Like many in this tournament, much of the Sri Lankan's experience of Twenty20 cricket has been gained through playing for English counties.

This tournament will feature batsmen who may well change a game very quickly- think of half an hour of explosive batting from Shahid Afridi, Chris Gayle, Kevin Peterson, Justin Kemp, Adam Gilchrist et al- and a weakness for Sri Lanka is a lack of a number of players to add to this list. They have a classy and temperamentally reliable top order, in particular Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, but whether their elegance can accumulate at a pace to match some of the aforementioned players remains to be seen. Opening the innings, Sanath Jayasuriya is their one player who would undoubtedly make this list and Tillakaratne Dilshan can add impetence later but Sri Lanka may struggle to post or chase particularly large scores which they are likely to need at some stage, especially on South African pitches and grounds.

Sri Lanka do possess a genuine strike bowler in Lasith Malinga, aided by the dependable Chaminda Vaas though Upul Chandana was a surprising omission, especially after Muralitharan's injury. A keen and competitive unit, their squad offers a variety of bowling styles which is of even greater importance than normal in Twenty20, with the reduced thinking time a batsman has, especially when compared with teams such as South Africa. Captain Jayawardene's composure and knowledge of his players is another positive factor and Sri Lanka should be seen as one of the least likely sides to implode when the pressure is on.

Though they may lack the big-hitters in their batting line-up, Sri Lanka's recent success in one-day cricket, depth and experience mean they are strong candidates to reach the semi-finals. At that stage if they face Australia or South Africa they will probably be considered underdogs but the shorter the format the more likely an upset or two and initial odds of around 8 or above to be overall winners could be appealing and certainly offers better value than odds of in the region of 4 to reach the final. Alternatively, if looking to trade, Sri Lanka should be worth backing early and sold near the end of the second group stage. A consistent performer, Sangakkara is a decent long-shot at around 36 to be the tournament's leading run scorer.