No need to panic

Chairman of the National Selection Committee Kapila Wijegunawardene says Sri Lanka does not need to press the panic button yet as he was confident of the hosts’ ability to hit back in the on-going three-match Test series.
“I strongly feel we (Sri Lanka) are capable of bouncing back,” he told  looking ahead to the second Test which is set to get underway Thursday in Colombo

“No doubt it was a very bad day at the office for our boys in Galle, but such is the nature of the beast that wins and losses are part and parcel of international sport and we need to take it in our stride.”
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by ten wickets in a match reduced to four days due to rain in Galle, dismissing their opponents for 206 in their second innings and knocking off the necessary 90 runs at more than eight an over without losing a wicket. Sri Lanka batting first scored 300 to which Pakistan replied with 417. That gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
The former Sri Lanka fast bowler was of the view Angelo Mathews’ men had clearly failed to play to their full potential in the first Test, following a break from international duty for nearly three months since being beaten by South Africa in the World Cup quarter-final in March this year. ‘They clearly looked rusty out there’ was how he described the form of his charges in the first Test.
But, he refused to trot it out as an excuse for Sri Lanka’s abject second innings collapse in Galle which handed the Pakistanis a 10-wicket win – which was also the first occasion a touring team had won a Test by such a margin in this country.
“I felt there were no major terrors in that wicket on day five, but at the same time there were more than a few ill-advised shots which were played by our batsmen which caused Sri Lanka’s downfall,” opined the selection chief ruling out any wholesale changes to the squad in the wake of the chastening first Test loss.
Wijegunawardene who replaced former captain Sanath Jayasuriya as the new Selection Committee Chief in early April this year was confident that the current players had it in them to comeback strongly in the on-going series.
Asked whether there were any perceived weaknesses in Sri Lanka’s overall performance in the series opener, the former pacer noted playing Pakistan leg spinner Yasir Shah more effectively the next time around would be the ultimate test for the home side.
Fast rising leg-spinner Shah ripped through the Sri Lankan second innings with figures of 7-76 — the best by a leggie in Sri Lanka — to help Pakistan turn the tables on their hosts in Galle.
“I think we can counter Shah the next time around considering our prowess at playing spin. It was one of those things that we got foxed down in Galle. But, I am optimistic that we have the batsmen to keep him at bay in the remaining two Tests.”
The Selection Committee Chief said the form of seasoned left-arm spinner Rangana Herath who could only grab a solitary scalp in the entire game for 129 runs was not an undue concern.
He however, backed Herath, who was coming back to international cricket following injury, to rediscover his mojo that rattled the Pakistanis during a two-match Test series last year. Herath mesmerized the tourists with 23 wickets in that series which Angelo Mathews’ team won 2-0.
The soft-spoken Wijegunawardene who represented his country between 1988 and 1992 winning two Tests and 26 ODI caps in the process, also rubbished claims Kumar Sangakkara’s imminent retirement was distracting the rest of the team.
“More than any distractions, those who are tipped to take over from Sanga once he quits, are looking to grab their chances with both hands and that is the positive vibe that is coming out of the dressing room right now,” quipped the ex-pacer noted for playing a key role having bowled legendary West Indies Captain Viv Richards in Sri Lanka’s first ODI win over West Indies in Rajkot back in 1989.
After the third Test due to start on 3 July in Pallekele, the teams will also play five one-day and two Twenty20 internationals.