Injury to Pathirana could be a blessing in disguise

Rex Clementine
in Bangalore

It is cruel to think or wish that any player is injured and ruled out of any form of cricket leave alone a World Cup, but Dushmantha Chameera getting a look in place of the misfiring Matheesha Pathirana isn’t a bad idea at all. Sri Lanka will be hoping that it’s a blessing in disguise.

The team management had submitted Pathirana’s medical papers to the ICC’s Event Technical Committee and should get the clearance to bring in the team’s premier fast bowler Chameera into the squad.

Chameera wasn’t named in the original World Cup squad as he had not recovered sufficiently from injuries but flew to Lucknow last week as a travelling reserve and as cover for Pathirana. With Pathirana’s shoulder niggle not healing in time, Sri Lanka will have their wish for a replacement.

Pathirana featured in Sri Lanka’s first two World Cup games against South Africa and Pakistan but failed to make an impact and was sidelined from the Australia and Netherlands games in Lucknow.

The 20-year-old was a sensation in this year’s Indian Premier League, but he has not been able to adapt for the 50 over format.

Sri Lanka would have been better off using him exclusively for T-20 cricket for the time being before bringing him in for the 50 over format after a couple of domestic seasons. But he was rushed to play an event as big as the World Cup and has struggled to make an impact.

Pathirana is not Sri Lanka’s only injury worry. Maheesh Theekshana himself is troubled by a dodgy hamstring. The bowler missed the Asia Cup final having sustained the hamstring injury and although he had recovered fully and was an integral part of the team in their early fixtures of the World Cup, he seemed to struggle during the team’s win over Netherlands in Lucknow.

Chameera, meanwhile, when fully fit, had troubled many famous batting line ups. While his smooth action is a treat to watch, his pace can be unsettling for batters, but the problem is Chameera’s career has been plagued by injuries.

The 31-year-old underwent surgery in Australia last year as he broke down midway through the T-20 World Cup. He made his return early this year in the ODI series against Afghanistan but broke down again after featuring in just two ODIs.

Lahiru Kumara, probably the fastest bowler in the country, is also prone for injuries and has walked off halfway through spells on countless occasions leaving the captain high and dry.

Questions over whether Sri Lanka have managed their injured players properly and their rehabilitation process have remained for a few years now and not many answers have been found.

When the national cricket team’s T-20 World Cup campaign in Australia was plagued by a series of injuries last year, the team management promised to take corrective measures but those measures don’t seem to have worked.