Dasun Shanaka set to become 10th ODI captain in 4 years 

Sri Lanka’s new white-ball captain Dasun Shanaka (centre) addresses the team during practices at the R. Premadasa Stadium

Bhanuka Rajapaksa has a responsible role to play in the batting

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

The success of a cricket team is judged by not only the consistency with which it plays but the consistency in selections as well. But when you have a team like Sri Lanka, where in the past four years, has appointed nine players to captain its One-Day International side, then you don’t need to raise an eyebrow over their poor rankings – ninth in the ICC ODI rankings and 12th out of 13 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.

It was not so long ago that the national selectors dumped the most successful Sri Lanka ODI captain since 2017, Dimuth Karunaratne who had a win percentage of 58.8% (10 wins out of 17 ODIs) and opted for Kusal Perera for the ODI series in Bangladesh in May followed by the tour to England.

The reasons given to justify the exclusion of Karunaratne from the ODI captaincy and the team was that the national selectors were looking to build a young team targeting the 2023 World Cup. Karunaratne was not the only senior player who was overlooked for selection that was largely based on ‘age’ and not entirely on numbers, former captains Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Suranga Lakmal also faced the axe.

Perera was given the leadership for the Bangladesh and England tours and of the nine white ball matches (ODI and T20I) he captained Sri Lanka won only one and lost seven, with one no-result.

We are reliably made to understand that Perera for the most part played with an injured right shoulder in England with the fear of losing the captaincy and by doing so has aggravated it further to the extent that he has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against India starting on Sunday at the R. Premadasa Stadium and is also doubtful for the three-match T20I that is to follow.

Despite all of Perera’s efforts to hold onto the captaincy and the supporting comments he got from the team’s head coach Mickey Arthur – “he led the team very well in very trying times” – the national selectors have replaced Perera with batting all-rounder Dasun Shanaka, who is in line to make his ODI captaincy debut and become Sri Lanka’s 10th ODI captain in the last four years when he leads the team out on Sunday against India. In fact, the selectors have given Shanaka an extended run till the ICC T20 World Cup in October.

Shanaka is renowned for leading an inexperienced Sri Lanka team to beat a strong Pakistan side on their home turf 3-0 in a T20I series in 2019 and he has since captained Dambulla Viikings to the semi-finals of the inaugural Lanka Premier League last year. However, the upcoming white-ball series against India will be the real test of his capabilities as a captain.

Whether the change of captaincy was done purely on merit or based on an alliance with Sri Lanka Cricket is debatable. It is understood that Perera played a central role representing the players in the contract row that took place between players and the cricket administration, and Shanaka it is learnt is one of the first few to sign the tour contract after the team’s arrival from England, which effectively settled the dispute.

Either way, these spontaneous changes in leadership are certainly going to affect the team performances especially when captains are changed for reasons other than their performances and the ability to lead.

It is high time that Sri Lanka Cricket and the committees they are working came down from their high horse and settled down with a leader who can gain the trust and respect of the rest of the players so that the team can show some consistency by winning, a trait which we have not seen for the past seven years or so.

The selectors have not only trust the white ball captaincy to Shanaka but also made another batting all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva his deputy, thus sticking to their policy of building a young team. Even for the Indian series, they have not recalled any of the seniors except for Mathews who has politely turned down the offer by stating not to consider him for national selection as he is contemplating retirement.

In Kusal Perera’s absence (one of the most experienced batsmen in an inexperienced line-up), the Lankan batting that has been the bane for their continuous defeats is going to be further weakened. Perera has also been the team’s gloveman, but Sri Lanka are not short of wicket-keeper’s as they have Minod Bhanuka and uncapped Lahiru Udara in their ranks to replace him.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa who was fined and given a suspended two-year sentence by Sri Lanka Cricket for breach of contract has found a place in the squad of 25 named for the ODI and T20I series. Rajapaksa was overlooked for the tours to Bangladesh and England on the grounds of fitness, but has worked himself diligently towards gaining the required fitness standards to gain selection. He will have a responsible role to play in an unstable Lankan batting line-up. 

Oshada Fernando and Nuwan Pradeep have been excluded from the squad that played England in the ODI series along with Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis (both of whom are suspended for bio-bubble breach in the UK). They have been replaced by Rajapaksa, Bhanuka, Udara, Kasun Rajitha, Ashen Bandara and Lahiru Kumara. The rest of the squad comprise players who toured England for the recent series.

Sri Lanka Squad for ODI and T20I: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dhananjaya de Silva (vice-captain), Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashen Bandara, Minod Bhanuka, Lahiru Udara, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan, Akila Dhananjaya, Shiran Fernando, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ishan Jayaratne, Praveen Jayawickrema, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Isuru Udana.

Kusal Perera and Binura Fernando are both injured but continue to be part of the 25-member squad.