New beginning for old team

After a post-World Cup lull, when the team stagnated under an interim management, Sri Lanka's road to the 2007 World Cup starts in earnest on Nov 18, their first game with a new coach, physio and fitness trainer.

But it's a new beginning for an old team. The names are familiar; many have been around for a decade, although that's more the result of their early blooding rather than a bias towards the elderly. No one could justifiably be written off as over-the-hill just yet.

Still it's significant that Sri Lanka's new beginning starts with such a noticeable lack of new talent. Nuwan Kulasekera, a young fast bowler with allrounder potential who is spoken of highly, is the one freshman as the selectors decided to recall two old hands: Russel Arnold and Nuwan Zoysa.

Where the team to remain intact until the 2007 World Cup - admittedly unlikely - then the average age would have crept up to 33. It would not be a geriatric team but some players would be on the decline.

It's ironic that England, a country where the selectors have a reputation for conservatism, bring to Sri Lanka a one-day squad that is filled with ambitious but inexperienced 20-year-olds.

A quick comparison between the two likely teams for the first day/night match at Dambulla shows a remarkable difference in experience: Sri Lanka will boast a total cap count of 1718 one-day internationals compared to England's paltry 357.

Marcus Trescothick, England's most capped player with 74 matches, would be the third most inexperienced player in Sri Lanka's team. Michael Vaughan, the captain, would still be in charge of carrying suitcases were he Sri Lankan.

But Sri Lanka's selectors are not averse to picking young players; they are just finding it difficult to find youngsters of suitable quality. They are also mindful of throwing teenagers straight into international cricket, a high-risk strategy that has ruined more careers that it has made during the last few years.

The youngsters that have caught the selectors eye have been packed off to India with the A team for a six-week tour. The tour forms part of a new intensive A schedule designed to bridge the yawning gap between domestic and international cricket - results are expected next year.

In the meantime, the selectors are fully justified in sticking with the tried and tested. They have picked the best side possible for an important series, a series that ends a four-month break and kick-starts a busy new year. A winning start is necessary after a post-World Cup slump.

Indeed, despite a 2-1 win the Caribbean in June, confidence remains fragile after five losses in their last 10 matches and a disastrous home tri-series in May when they were outplayed by New Zealand and Pakistan. England, meanwhile, arrive on a roll - nine wins in 13 matches since being knocked out of the World Cup.

There are possible changes to be made to the team during the coming months - Romesh Kaluwitharana's future is not assured, for example, and Tillakaratne is under pressure for his middle order slot - but first the new management team must settle down.

John Dyson, the new Australian coach, faces the toughest task over the coming weeks as he tries to win the respect of the players. His lack of first-class coaching experience increases the onus on him to prove he's up to the job. If he fails to do so he will quickly be sidelined - coaches are not kings in Sri Lanka.

CJ Clark, the interim replacement for Alex Kontouri and current A team physiotherapist, has already won the respect of the players, as has Shane Duff, the new fitness trainer, but Paul Klarenaar, the national team physiotherapist, is under pressure - not surprising considering the enormous respect the players had for his predecessor.

After a few weeks of familiarisation, the management will get their first taste of the real dynamics within the team. Only then will they be able to fully integrate into the set-up, and until then they should have no complaints that it is the senior men who will be running the side.

Fortunately, with roles already defined and so much experience packed into the squad, the team will largely run on autopilot. The mood is upbeat and, although there are fears over the quality of pitches, a winning start to a new beginning is expected.