Twenty20 World Cup / Ralph Ellis / 29 April 2010 / 1

Innnovation is key in modern day cricket and no shot in the past few years can be described as more innovative than the "Dilscoop". Ralph Ellis tells us about the man who created it and Sri Lanka's chances in the T20 World Cup.

I'm old enough - sadly - to remember the moment that the Cruyff turn was invented. It's got a million views and more on YouTube now, much to the regret, no doubt, of Sweden full back Jan Olsson who was the hapless defender going one way while the great Dutch star went the other. But I can recall sitting watching the telly and seeing it live, one of those moments when you just go "wow", and can't quite believe what you've seen.

Of course these days you can find a dozen ten-year-olds capable of doing a Cruyff turn if you walk through the average park, but for those of us who can remember the drama of the trick being unveiled on a World Cup stage - it was back in 1974 - it never loses its magic.

I suspect the same must be true if you go to India or Sri Lanka, places where kids still play cricket in the street, and see a future generation copying the "Dillscoop". That's the audacious shot perfected by Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan, going down on one knee and hoisting a good length ball over his own head - and the wicket keeper too - down to the boundary.

Just as Cruyff brought his great technique to the biggest stage and got a move named after him, so Dilshan has shown off his invention when it matters - as the star player of last year's World Twenty20 Cup in England and then again in the mad, raucous atmosphere of the IPL.

Australia's normally very confident Shane Watson was cricket's equivalent of the hapless Swedish defender Olsson last summer, as the first to be on the wrong end of it. And there will doubtless be a couple of New Zealand bowlers worrying about how to prevent themselves suffering the same fate tomorrow when Sri Lanka are [1.72] favourites to start their campaign in the West Indies with a win.

Dilshan has given the Daily Mail's Paul Newman a rare interview today, and reveals that creating new shots is not quite so simple. "I tried another this winter that involves dropping on both knees to hit the ball over my head - but I tried it three times and each time hit the ball straight into my helmet. I called it the suicide shot - I won't do that again," he says.

The Sri Lankans were the first to develop the concept of "pinch hitting" openers in One Day cricket when they stormed from being one of the game's minor nations to win the World Cup in 1996. Dilshan has brought that tradition up to date, providing dash and flair since being promoted to open the innings for his country in all forms of cricket last year. The tournament's top scorer last summer with 317, his one crucial failure in the final was probably the key moment that handed Pakistan the trophy.

He's priced between [14.5] and [20] to be top run getter this time and if you can get something matched around [17.0] it's a good gamble. The Sri Lankans also look value at [6.6] to win the tournament or [3.75] to reach the final.

Five things you might not know about Tillakaratne Dilshan

Born in Kalutara in Sri Lanka in 1976 his younger brother Tillakaratne Sampath plays first class cricket for Rohuna

His father was a Malay soccer player. He changed his name from Tuwan Mohammad when he converted from Islam to Buddhism

He was the hero of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Pakistan last year, risking being shot by remaining sat up to guide the driver through a route to safety

He joined the long list of cricketers to be injured playing football in the warm-up when he broke his nose in a collision with a team mate during the 2009 Test series against India

He's married to Sri Lankan television actress Manjula Thilini - but has a five-year-old son from a previous marriage

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1. sam o | 02 May 2010

   Surely you can't believe this (although it is easy for me to say this after the SLvNZ game)

   Dilshan hasn't been in form for the whole ipl and certainly didn't show any in the NZvSL game with 2 off 17 or there abouts. What intrigues me more is the fact you mention how New Zealand should be scared of the Dilscoop (or what commentators refer to as the McDilScoop) when we have Brendon McCallum who you'd have to be brave to say he doesn't play it better than Dilshan especially in New Zealands most recent t20 prior to the world cup where Brendan McCallum scored the 2nd ever international T20 century mainly due to the use of the Mcscoop

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