Sri Lanka's Quest for the next Murali

After Murali’s announcement of retirement from test cricket, the biggest question is Sri Lankan cricket arises once again. After Murali, who?

Ajantha_Mendis

Sri Lankans in the past have shown that they have a rich talent when it comes to spinners, but Murali has left too big a void to fill and his shoes are certainly a number 12. Anyways, let’s take a look at some of the resources Sri Lanka possesses presently:

1) Ajantha Mendis: He was a sensation when he arrived and soon made the best batting line up in the world to dance to his tunes with his carrom balls and the flippers. Picking up an impressive 36 wicket in his debut series, he announced his arrival in the test arena with a bang and certainly was poised to take the baton from Murali. But his fairytale was over too soon. Soon, the carom ball was not as effective and with modern technologies, batsmen worked him out quickly. Unluckily for him, playing too often against India has worked against him and thanks to the FTP he hasn’t played a single test against England and South Africa, who are poor players of spin. Though he was not picked for the test series against India, its too early to write him off. He is just 25 and with age on his side he still has a lot to offer. In my opinion, he is one if the top contenders to step into Murali’s shoes.

2) Rangana Herath: He made his debut way back in 1999 and shot to fame with his ‘mystery’ ball, but with Murali in team, he did not get a fair chance to showcase his talent. In his 11 year long career he played just 21 test matches and a handful of ODIs. But after last year’s Man-of-the-Match performance against the Pakistan where he led Sri Lanka to an improbable win, he has cemented his place in test squad. The upcoming series against India is a great chance for him to become a permanent member of test squad and spearhead the Sri Lankan spin attack.

3) Suraj Randiv: He is also a promising talent and has impressed with his off breaks in ODIs. With a first class average of over 24, he is one of the players to look out for. But, with the Heraths and Mendises around, getting a test cap has always been difficult for him. Now, with his surprise inclusion over Mendis for the series against India, he is surely in selectors mind and might well get a chance to bag a test cap in the upcoming month.

4) Sachithra Senanayake: Most of you might have never heard of this name before. He hails from Colombo and has played good amount of first class cricket. With a bowling average of just over 17, he seems to be a promising talent. But, he couldn’t quite impress in the Board President’s 11 match against India picking up just 2 wickets. His being an all-rounder may give him some edge over the rest of them. For now, he hasn’t played any form of international cricket and he will have to produce something sensational to get a call from the selectors.