Sri Lanka 'A' fighting to avoid clean sweep

Mohammad Yaqoob

October 3, 2002

LAHORE, Oct 2: Dilip Wickremasinghe, manager of Sri Lanka 'A' team manager, admitted Wednesday that the results in the one-day series were not encouraging but vowed his side would fight to avoid a whitewash in the three-match series against Pakistan 'A'.

The final match takes place at Gaddafi Stadium Thursday. The home side won the first match at Multan by 51 runs and the second at Faisalabad by 92 runs.

However, the two four-day 'Tests' match series ended with Pakistan winning the first match at Faisalabad and the visitors triumphing in the final tie at Multan.

Wickremasinghe predicted some changes in the line-up for Thursday's one-dayer. He held his batsmen responsible for the losses in the first two games.

Thilan Samaraweera, the Sri Lankan skipper, said that Pakistan is a lovely place where playing conditions are ideal.

To a question, he said that the pitch at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad was not favourable for Test cricket but the one in Multan was sporting.

Meanwhile, Pakistan 'A' coach Aqib Javed believes young pacer Umar Gul should play in next year's World Cup as he has the ability to become an international bowler.

The former Test medium-pacer said Wednesday said that Umar bowls on accurate line and length and has a high arm action.

Umar, who hails from Peshawar, bowled well in the two Tests, but did not bowl well in the two one-dayers. He claimed 11 wickets for 224 runs in two Tests at around 24 per scalp. But in the two one-dayers Umar had taken just one wicket for 84 runs.

Aqib pointed out that six players from 'A' squad team were inducted in the senior team for series against and added that Umar along with stand-in captain Naved Latif are quite capable of getting places in the senior side.

Aqib said that he was very much impressed by the Sri Lankan team, especially their captain and off-spinner Samaraweera, Naveed Nawaz and Jehan Mubarak.

© Dawn

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Matches

Sri Lanka A v Pakistan A

Series/Tournaments

Sri Lanka A tour of Pakistan

Teams

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Grounds

Gaddafi Stadium