Fri, 29 Mar 2024 Today's Paper

Chandimal Axed

7 February 2017 09:37 am - 11     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

Misfiring batsman Dinesh Chandimal will be the sacrificial lamb as he will make way for young Sandun Weerakkody in the playing XI for today’s fourth ODI against South Africa at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town.

South Africa lead the five-match series 3-0, having beaten Sri Lanka comprehensively in the first three matches.  

Though Sri Lanka cannot boast a single consistent performer in the series, Chandimal’s 12 consecutive failures with the bat provide ample motive for the team’s think-tank to swing the axe on the 27-year-old senior batsman.  

Chandimal was the country’s highest scorer in one-day cricket last year, having scored 697 runs in 17 matches at 53.61 but his form this season has been woeful, largely contributing for Sri Lanka’s horrendous run in the series in South Africa.

He has struggled across all formats and is yet to score a half century after 12 innings in South Africa. His form has been a major worry for the Sri Lankans.  

“He is going through a bad patch just as any other cricketer. But we all know how good a cricketer he is and what he has done for the country. So I am sure he will get his form back,” said the chairman of selectors Sanath Jayasuriya.  

“I had a chat with him and he seems very low on confidence. So we decided to rest him for today’s game and bring in Sandun Weerakkody,” Jayasuriya added.  

Weerakkody, 23, made his international one-day debut at Port Elizabeth scoring just five runs but was left out of the last two matches as Sri Lanka opted for all-rounders-heavy team.  

With Chandimal taking a well deserved rest, Weerakkody will keep wickets and bat at number 5, a place Chandimal long occupied.  

However, stand-in skipper Upul Tharanga backed his misfiring deputy to turn things around and get back to scoring runs despite his miserable form with the bat in the series.  

“We need to back him. He is the most senior guy and a proven cricketer. Like I said it’s a bad patch and I am confident a big score is just around the corner,” Tharanga said. Chandimal has played 122 one-day internationals scoring 3095 runs at 34.01.

 
However, Sri Lanka has too few options as they looked to avoid the ignominy of a 5-0 drubbing. Apart from Niroshan Dickwella who has made an impression with his aggressive batting style at the top, the rest of the batting including skipper himself have struggled to fire—a major concern ahead of the fourth ODI.  

The hosts will be at full strength once again as they look for a clean sweep in the series before heading to New Zealand on Saturday. The hosts have been faultless in all three departments and are keen to continue to their sublime form as they eye their first global title at this year’s Champions Trophy.  

“We are a squad of players and whoever gets an opportunity, that’s an honour in itself and a great opportunity to showcase their talents. You look at Dwaine Pretorius in the last game, getting a Man-of-the-Match performance. That’s what we are about. The guys that get opportunities must be able to put in performances and they have done that,” JP Duminy said.  

South Africa: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Hashim Amla, 3. Faf du Plessis, 4. AB de Villiers (capt), 5. JP Duminy, 6. Farhaan Behardien, 7. Chris Morris/Wayne Parnell, 8. Dwaine Pretorius, 9. Andile Phehlukwayo, 10. Kagiso Rabada, 11. Imran Tahir/Tabraiz Shamsi  
Sri Lanka: 1. Niroshan Dickwella 2. Upul Tharanga (capt), 3. Kusal Mendis, 4. Sandun Weerakkody (wk), 5. Asela Gunaratne, 6. Dhananjaya de Silva, 7. Sachith Pathirana, 8. Lahiru Madushanka, 9. Suranga Lakmal, 10. Lahiru Kumara, 11. Lakshan Sandakan  (Champika Fernando in Cape Town )


Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

  Comments - 11

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka
  • Neo Tuesday, 07 February 2017 09:48 AM

    Country before self anytime whatever the obstacles may be. Good decision and way forward.

    Jude Tuesday, 07 February 2017 10:16 AM

    This could be a blessing in disguise!!!?? Chandimal is talented and skill player with very unique batting technique!!! However, he should watch tapes of his best innings and figure out his flaws in batting now!!!

    kaboos Tuesday, 07 February 2017 10:32 AM

    Good decision by the think tanker. He should have been drop sometime back.. Chandimal is good to play against Bangladesh Zimbabwe and other associate members.

    lkboy Tuesday, 07 February 2017 10:41 AM

    Now please axe Tharanga. What is his contribution?

    Jagath Leanage Tuesday, 07 February 2017 10:48 AM

    At last . This would happen long time ago.

    Pathum Tuesday, 07 February 2017 12:02 PM

    We are going to loss another telnet player.This is pathetic.

    Raja Tuesday, 07 February 2017 12:04 PM

    Form is temporary and class is permanent. Chandimal is a class act. Once he gets over his bad patch, he will come back strongly.

    prasad Tuesday, 07 February 2017 01:46 PM

    it is a good decision to rest chandimal , he has been a consistent player for srilanka but the problem is his impact as a batsman , chandimal is a traditional batsman not a versatile batsman his range of strokes are limited when compare with modern batsman, srilanka need more stroke players who are capable of playing longer innings, actually any stroke player can change their game easily in order to play longer innings, but players like chandimal always struggled in the past to play stroke and increase the run rate when the situation demands it,it is appreciable and notable that current selectors shows high interest to give more chances to batsman who regarded as stroke players, this trend needs to continue otherwise srilanka will not survive in the future cricket arena where stroke players dominate the game

    LM Tuesday, 07 February 2017 03:55 PM

    Who is the highest runs / average

    ijaz Tuesday, 07 February 2017 04:00 PM

    yep. players like dickwella

    shiha2 Wednesday, 08 February 2017 07:01 PM

    on that wiket chandimal wouid have found his touch. he is unlucky to get dropped@


Add comment

Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Reply To:

Name - Reply Comment





Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

VAT increase: SOUNDs death knell for publishers, readers

Though the Government imposed VAT (Value Added Tax) on vegetables and other e

How female change-makers are driving Sri Lanka’s energy saving platform

Saving energy has become more of a responsibility than a habit in today’s c

A dull Ramadan awaits Muslims amidst the Soaring Cost of Living

In the coming days, Muslims across the world will welcome the Holy Month of R

New wildlife underpass to curtail HEC

As of February 2024, Sri Lanka lost another 38 elephants as a result of the H

MIRROR CRICKET

More