Sri Lanka > Reviews (9)

Yes, yes, I'm Sri Lankan. Cricket is a passion, and since the (in)famous tour of Australia in 1995/96, they're suddenly a serious team.

I'm writing this as I'm on a high, as Jayasuriya's men have just won the Kandy test against West Indies, after losing in Kandy against South Africa, England and India (!) Yes, so we needed Muralitharan to take another 10 wickets to help us win, but hey! He is one of the world's best right now (and YES, his action is perfectly legal!) He's got 371 Test wickets, compared to 410 for Shane Warne, and I'd back him to get to 500 before Warney.

I'd back Sri Lanka to be one of the best Test and ODI teams over the next couple of years, if only they can tighten up their batting discipline. They have more batting talent than most teams (the best sign of talent is the fringe batsmen who can't get into the side, and Michael Vandort is a class act). The bowling, traditionally made up of Murali (over the wicket) and Murali (occasionally around the wicket), is now re-inforced by the increased effectiveness of Vaas, Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, and the return of Niroshan Bandaratilleke (whom I think has loads of potential). They're also a sharp fielding side, and they are more cohesive than virtually any team on the world stage right now.

I think they're lots of fun to watch because they bat like a bunch of crazies when they get going, and I love watching Murali eyeing up batsmen (no funny connotations intended!) It's also fun listening to them talk to each other in Sinhala, since I can understand a bit of it.

Generally, cricket fans who don't watch Sri Lanka much really ought to tune in - you get to see stars like Jayasuriya, Atapattu and Muralitharan, and feel the energy of a livewire outfit.