Cricketry Sri Lanka
Basics of team selection
The most common template for team selection is;
- Six batsmen including a wicketkeeper capable of scoring 50 or more
- Five bowlers capable of taking wickets and bowling a decent number of overs.
This formula gives a balanced side and allows the team to adapt to any situation. However, we have seen teams opt to break this formula. But before deciding to go with just four decent bowlers, we must consider what would happen if one of them get injured during a match. The most recent example for this is Lasith Ambuldeniya’s injury during the second test against the Proteas. This is when having all-rounders comes in handy. In Lasith Ambuldeniya’s case, Dhananjaya De Silva was able to fill in. But we would have definitely lost that second match if he too failed.