da imperador bet： Coach Dav Whatmore has admitted that the form of Sri Lanka’s batsmen so farin England has been a cause of concern with the First Test at Lords startingThursday now fast approaching
da wazamba： CricInfo12-May-2002Coach Dav Whatmore has admitted that the form of Sri Lanka’s batsmen so farin England has been a cause of concern with the First Test at Lords startingThursday now fast approaching.The tourists were forced to follow-on against Durham last week and were thenbowled out for 186 against Middlesex at Shenley on the weekend.With reference to the latest collapse, he said: “I’m not very happy withthat. It isn’t very clever. It just goes to show you are never really securein this game.””I would have liked one of the openers to have gone on, but I think thechange of pace with the ball skidding a bit had an effect. Theirmedium-pacers did well and got it to move off the seam.”Nevertheless, the top six for Lords has apparently been decided, which thenleaves a tricky decision for the number seven position between ThilanSamaraweera and Russel Arnold. The option of playing eight batsmen has alsoapparently been ruled out.In the fast bowling department, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa are certain toplay and Whatmore explained the decision rest them before Lords.”There are no injures. They have had a lot of cricket,” he said.”We would rather build them up away from competition with training andrunning. We know what they can do.”The tours selectors – Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu and ChandraShaffter, the manager – then need to pick two more seamers, with RuchiraPerera and Charitha Fernando the favourites to play.Meanwhile, Whatmore admitted to being caught unawares by the recall ofall-rounder Dominic Cork, although he had anticipated the call-up of JohnCrawley.”Crawley has been playing very well, as has Marcus Trescothick, and possiblyAlec Stewart also,” he said.”But I’m pleasantly surprised that the other guys might be a bit short ofruns.”It looks as though they have gone for experience and it gives them a bitmore flexibility in what they want to do.”
