Sri Lanka under 19 cricket team still not selected (17 Oct 1997)

Friday 17, October 1997

Sri Lanka under 19 cricket team still not selected

By Ranjan Anandappa

After conducting twenty two trials which could be some sort of a record the Sri Lanka Cricket Selectors are still unable to select 14 players for the forthcoming Sri Lanka Under 19 cricket tour of India.

The 23rd trial is to be held next week to select the team and without the presence of the selectors conducting trial after trial will be of no use.

It is quite evident that the seven member Selection Committee comprising Duleep Mendis ( Chairman), Roy Dias, Saliya Ahangama,, T.B. Kehelgamuwa, Asantha de Mel, D.S.de Silva and K.M. Nelson, have less time to devote making sporadic appearences while the trials are in progress.

From a pool of 140 players they pruned it down to 28 players and they are still not in a position to select the final team which is scheduled to leave on November 23 and will be on a month's tour till December 25.

All the selectors have played the junior game at the highest level which has helped them to rise to the top and to the present position where they are today and it is sad to see them paying very little emphasis at this level which has provided the cradle of Sri Lanka cricket.

In Sri Lanka the school cricket standard has always been at the highest level and it is that foundation that has helped many players to reach the top. When Sri Lanka last toured India under Mithra Wettimuny which had players like Duleep Mendis, Bandula Warnapura, Ajith de Silva, late Diyanesh Rajaratnam, Jagath Fernando, Ananda Jayatileka, Rory Inman to name a few players they beat India in a test match and won the series.

With the Under 19 World Cup too around the corner( January 11th to February 2nd) it is important for the selectors to sit and do a serious job.

Although the under 19 players are mostly from schools the Sri Lanka School Cricket Association has very little or no authority as the negotiations are betweeen the Indian and Sri Lanka Cricket Boards.

The team will be playing a three day game (Hyderabad), three test matches at Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad. The three one dayers are at Rajkot, Boroda and Pune.

There are four players Benedictine Pradeep Hewage,Thomian Upekha Fernando, Trinitian Suranga Morathota and Dilhara Fernando of De Mazenod, Kandana who played against the Indian Under 19 team which toured Sri Lanka in March this year.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)