Theekshana-less Sri Lanka bank on young Wellalage in World Cup clash against South Africa

Sri Lanka will face a significant challenge in their ODI World Cup 2023 opener against South Africa as they will be without the services of spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Head coach Chris Silverwood confirmed Theekshana's absence due to an ongoing hamstring injury that he suffered during the Asia Cup. 

3 things you need to know

• Dunith Wellalage displayed impressive performances against India during the Asia Cup
• Sri Lanka lost their warm-up matches in the build-up to the World Cup 
• Silverwood's Sri Lanka will take on South Africa in Delhi on October 7

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Silverwood doesn't want to put pressure on Wellalage

Silverwood addressed the situation in the pre-match press conference on October 6, stating, "Theekshana is still recovering from a hamstring injury, so he won't be available for this game, but we expect him to be available very soon. The rest of them are fine." 

This means that the spin-bowling responsibilities will fall on all-rounders Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage, along with legspinner Dushan Hemantha if he is included in the playing XI.

Among these options, the 20-year-old left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage has drawn attention, especially following his impressive performances against India in the Asia Cup. However, Silverwood emphasised the need to manage expectations, saying, "Dunith has shown us what a good young cricketer he is. He's got an old head on young shoulders and I think he's played his cricket with maturity so far. I think he's shown his worth with bat and ball and he's a good young fielder as well.

"We're not going to put any more pressure on him than that, so for me he goes out and he plays his way. He knows his role in the team and he's very happy with that. So, for me it's about not putting pressure on these guys, it's about taking pressure off them and I want him to go out and enjoy himself and show the rest of the world how good he is and if we can do that and give him that freedom, I think we'll see the best of him."

Silverwood rejects Dhoni's suggestion

Regarding the young talent in Sri Lanka's bowling lineup, Silverwood expressed his excitement and support for players like Matheesha Pathirana, who has been likened to Lasith Malinga. Pathirana had gained recognition in school cricket and even got his break in the IPL before playing for the national team. Silverwood rejected suggestions from MS Dhoni to limit Pathirana's involvement in 50-over cricket, emphasising the importance of giving young talents opportunities.

"Well, I've not read that what MS has said and so, to be honest, it doesn't bother me in the slightest, it's got nothing to do with us," Silverwood said. "But what I will say is somebody like Pathirana is a very exciting young talent and he's got a lot to showcase in 50-over cricket as well and I think it would be wrong to deprive him of that opportunity," Silverwood said.

"And I think it would be wrong for us not to have him out there and not let Sri Lankan people see what their young talented cricketers can do out on the cricket field. I get very excited about the young talent coming through, not just him, we have other youngsters as well. And I think it's great that we can give them a stage to go show off on. So, for me, they go out there, they spread their wings and fly. And let's see what they can achieve."

Injuries have hampered Sri Lanka's bowling resources, but their batting performances have also been a cause for concern. In their warm-up matches against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, they failed to capitalise on strong starts, leading to disappointing outcomes. Silverwood acknowledged the issue, saying, "We've had some solid starts from the top of the order... the one thing that we need to capitalize on is those solid starts and obviously go big towards the end.

"We can't hide behind the fact that actually we haven't kicked on from solid starts, and again we missed an opportunity in the warm-up game to do that. As I said, there's no point hiding behind it. It's a 'work-on' for us, and it's an area that we're trying to improve constantly."

As Sri Lanka prepare for their World Cup campaign, they face both challenges and opportunities, with young talents like Dunith Wellalage and Matheesha Pathirana aiming to make their mark on the international stage. The team will need to address their batting struggles and find ways to capitalise on strong starts if they are to succeed in the tournament.