Selectors must take final call on resting players - Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has said that for a rotational policy to evolve in his team, the selectors must take the final call and assure players of their place in the side when rested. "From team point of view, we can recommend rest to certain players, especially fast bowlers because of their load. But the final call has to come from selectors, otherwise there is too much responsibility on the individual player.

"And when you have a rotational policy, I think it is important that the player has the confidence that if you are rotated out of the team, you get first choice back. It doesn't matter if your replacement scores a hundred or a double."

That assurance given to a player, Sangakkara said, was crucial to preventing any mistrust. "You get first choice back because you were the best in that position and that's why you earned your rest. I think all these things must be set in place before you execute a rotational policy, otherwise there can be mistrust and misinterpretation and ultimately that can fall to pieces and it can affect the side."

Both Sangakkara and his counterpart MS Dhoni acknowledged bowlers were in greater need of rest. "The workload on the bowler can be too much if you see specially those playing both the Test matches and the ODIs. Because the workload on them is a bit too much, that really challenges the limit. For batsmen, they don't have to put in the same amount of effort compared to a bowler," Dhoni said.

"It is better off personally if you can rest someone and prevent him from getting injured. You know that actually does not hamper his form. The kind of momentum that one gets because of good performances can just continue and he will always be in a positive frame of mind."

India have rested several key members of their side for the ongoing triangular series in Dambulla.