The recently appointed Sri Lankan selection committee, headed by Tikiri Banda Kehelgamuwa, has confirmed that it will continue with the youth policy that has been followed since the 1999 World Cup.
Kehelgamuwa said : "Our policy to emphasise on youth for the past two years has produced the desired results. There may have been the odd hiccup or two, but overall we are quite happy the way the national team is shaping up".
"Our goal is the 2003 World Cup and we will continue to build a team with emphasis being based mainly on youth," said Kehelgamuwa, who is continuing in his tenth successive year as a cricket selector.
Kehelgamuwa succeeded Sidath Wettimuny as chairman of selectors soon after the tour of Pakistan last year, and has continued the policy of basing selections on youth despite pressure from certain quarters to include experienced players.
There were moves to expel him from the selection committee recently, but as happened two years ago, the hand of fate saved Sri Lanka cricket again with the change of administration.
Following Sri Lanka's debacle in the 1999 World Cup the new selection committee headed by Wettimuny completely revamped the national team and changed selection policies. Experienced cricketers like Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillakaratne and Roshan Mahanama, all past captains, failed to find a place in the Sri Lanka one-day squad, which led to criticism from certain sections of the public and also in cricketing circles.
But the selectors stuck to their guns and continued their policy with youth. Test victories over Australia, Zimbabwe and Pakistan matched by one-day wins in the Aiwa Cup and the Singer Triangular Series kept the critics at bay.
While Ranatunga and De Silva were retained for the Test matches, Mahanama quit the game internationally and Tillakaratne has not given up trying to regain his place.
Test defeats at the hands of Pakistan, South Africa and England in recent times has ruffled a few feathers and questioned the policy of the selection committee once more. Although it might be admitted that the youth have some way to go in Test cricket, there is no doubt that they have the makings of a champion outfit when it comes to the overs-limit game.
The recent Test losses has been somewhat compensated by victories over New Zealand (4-1), England (3-0) and in the ARY Gold Cup triangular in Sharjah.
After Wettimuny quit as selector, Kehelgamuwa continued the policies of his predecessor and Sri Lanka cricket can thank its present standing in world cricket to the bold stand taken by these men in the past two years.
The present committee comprises Kehelgamuwa, Brendon Kuruppu, Kapila Wijegunawardena, Amal Silva and K.M. Nelson.
Kehelgamuwa said the 27 players selected to represent Sri Lanka `A' in next month's unofficial test and one-day series against Pakistan `A' were the future prospects of the country.
"What these youngsters require is not skill and technique which they already have, but someone to psyche them," said Kehelgamuwa. Cricket is a mind game and no amount of skill can bring success unless the player is mentally strong.
Kehelgamuwa welcomed the decision by the interim council to obtain the services of former South African batting `great' Barry Richards.
"If his services can be obtained before the Indian series, it will be of immense help to our batsmen," said Kehelgamuwa, who has noticed a few flaws in our top order batsmen.
Richards is expected to come on and off on four occasions with each visit lasting a fortnight with the intention of helping our cricketers prepare for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
The interim council is presently working on a plan at the R. Premadasa Stadium to put up wickets of different pace and bounce to assist the batsmen. It is a priority which the interim council has identified, following our batsmen's poor showing on the last tour to South Africa.
The senior team will come up against India and New Zealand in a one-day triangular tournament commencing in July followed by a three-Test series against India in August.
© CricInfo
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