5 tricks Sri Lanka are missing in the ODI format 

#5 Bowling which lacks consistency, depth and variety

Malinga

What sets apart a successful team from the rest is the depth and variety in the bowling attack. In modern day cricket, where pitches are getting flatter by the day, boundaries are getting smaller and the quality of the stroke making has increased, bowling units need to have depth, ability and variety to be effective.

Sri Lanka have tried far too many fast bowlers apart from their spearhead Lasith Malinga in recent times like Shaminda Eranga, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep and Dammika Prasad to name a few.

As you can see their bowling stocks are decent but the main problem with all the options is that they lack variety and in some cases, ability too. They all are bowlers who are right handers who bowl at around the same speed (130-135 km/h) , and they don’t execute their slower balls or yorkers well thus leaking too many runs at the end of every innings.

This bowling attack desperately needs some variety in the form of a left arm fast bowler. Vishwa Fernando has been tried against India, but we must wait and see if the selectors persist with him or like their tendency has been off late, chop and change again.

Even their spin bowling which has variety in the form of Lakshan Sandakan who must be persisted with, lacks edge over the opposition. Batsmen are easily able to negate any effects the spinners from Sri Lanka pose.

Even the Zimbabwean batsmen were able to minimise any effect the Sri Lankan spinners could have by attacking them and not allowing them to settle. The lack of experience in the spin attack is very reflective when they are attacked as they are unable to come back with a counter-attacking plan, thus making it easy for oppositions to control them.