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Lankan master blasters to throttle back

Holders Sri Lanka are ready to jettison the very strategy that got them to an unlikely title win in 1996.

And interestingly, the very man credited with the idea of pinch-hitting openers being let loose to terrorise opposing batsmen in the first 15 overs is the man who has now persuaded them to dump that strategy.

Dav Whatmore, who was Sri Lanka's coach during the WC-'96 campaign, and who is now coaching in England, has convinced the team management that bowlers, not batsmen, are the key to the upcoming World Cup.

"With the ball moving around so much, it may not be right to go for the shots from the start," team manager Duleep Mendis said, indicating that the Lankans would now look to build the innings and keep wickets in hand with a view to making a big push in the last 15, 20 overs.

Ranatunga has been telling his openers to play a more sensible brand of cricket than the big-hitting that produced 100-plus scores inside of the first 15 overs. The thinking within the squad at this present inclines towards holding back Romesh Kaluwitharana, and sending out Roshan Mahanama alongside Sanath Jayasuriya to open.

This plan got a fillip when Mahanama came up with an unbeaten 142, batting through the entire 50 overs, in Lanka's first warm-up game.

Lanka have lost 15 of its last 20 ODIs, but the punters appear inclined to back it to defeat hosts England, when the two teams meet at Lord's on May 14 in the game that will kick off the competition.