Mumbai: Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning captain and legend Arjuna Ranatunga has questioned the team’s over reliance on spin bowling. Sri Lanka recently whitewashed the Australian in three match Test series. Lankans had three spinners playing in the Test series and they took more wickets as compared to seamers. The next World Cup will be played in England and the wickets will nullify spinners to a great extent.
Ranatunga was the man who took SL from minnows to World champions in 1996 and was the man who started a winning culture in the team.
SL are tied in the one day series at 1-1. Amila Aponso, who made his debut during the one day series has impressed one and all. He took 4 for 18 and showed his class. Rangana Herath took 28 wickets in the Test series and Aussies were flummoxed and bamboozled by the turn and variation of the veteran.
Ranatunga questioned the logic behind preparing rank turners and warned that outside sub-continent pitches will be different with more pace and bounce and SL would struggle to cope with alien conditions.
“We need to build our all rounders and fast bowlers. Spin alone is not enough to play in conditions like in England. If we are preparing for the next World Cup in England, spin alone won’t do,” he told Sri Lanka’s Foreign Correspondents Association in Colombo late Thursday.
“I am not putting down their achievement (in beating Australia), but they need to go out (of the sub continent) and prove themselves. At the moment we are depending entirely on spinners.”
SL have consistently proved that they are a far better one day outfit than Test cricket. They reached the finals of 2007, 20011 WC. The team has won two world titles 1996 ICC CWC and 2014 World T20.
The recent performances in England and New Zealand have been ordinary to say the least and SL were outplayed and they did not have genuine fast bowlers to take the advantage of the conditions.
Chaminda Vass has been roped in to work with pacers and get the best out of them. Lankan lions are also going through a rebuilding phase and the results have been inconsistent across all formats.
“Even if you fail once or twice, you need to be able to pick yourself up and remain focused,” Ranatunga said in reference to the England tour.
Ranatunga is a minister in the present government and has praised Angelo Mathews for his dynamic leadership.
“I have a lot of faith in Mathews. I think he will end up being the best captain Sri Lanka ever produced. He has huge potential. He is able to keep the players together as a team.
Sri Lankan authorities should pay attention to Ranatunga’s words as he has played the game at the highest level and knows a thing or two about captaining the team through challenging and difficult times.