In Focus: Sri Lanka v Pakistan

Bol News exclusively talks to Russel Arnold, Farveez Maharoof and Roshan Abeysinghe about upcoming two-Test series

Pakistan cricket team is now in Colombo to start their three-week-long tour of Sri Lanka where they will face the home team in two five-day fixtures, starting from July 16 in Galle whereas the second fixture will be hosted by Colombo which will commence from July 24.

Bol News had a detailed conversation with three individuals — former cricketers Russel Arnold and Farveez Maharoof and a cricket commentator who has also worked as an administrator, Roshan Abeysinghe — to discuss how the series is likely going to be.

Q. What do you expect from the series?

Russel Arnold: 

I think it will be an even contest because Sri Lanka are playing at home. They did not play well in the series against Australia and maybe their confidence took a battering, which will work in Pakistan’s favour. So, therefore, I think it will be an even series.

Farveez Maharoof: 

I think it will be a very good series. Whenever Pakistan come to Sri Lanka, the series is always close and I am expecting the same this time around as well. Sri Lanka will be well-prepared as they would’ve played two Test matches at the same venue where they will face the Green Caps in the first fixture.

Roshan Abeysinghe: 

I think any team coming to Sri Lanka in these conditions is doing a big favour. Sri Lanka-Pakistan series have been always competitive and this time around I think it is going to be the same as well.

Q. The last time when Pakistan played in Sri Lanka in Tests was in 2015. Do you think the inexperience of the batting lineup of playing in these conditions will be a problem for the visitors?

Russel Arnold: 

You cannot say it is inexperienced because it comes down to adjusting. Pakistan have been playing good Test cricket but in slightly different conditions. They were playing in the subcontinent but the Pakistan wickets were really different compared to what we have here and hence, how soon they will adapt and adjust will determine how Pakistan will play in the series.

Farveez Maharoof: 

Pakistan chased down more than 300 in Kandy back in 2015 and surprisingly we only had one spinner who was not Rangana Herath. But overall Pakistan team was strong back then with the likes of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq in the team. We too had big-name players like Kumar Sangakkara and Herath who are not there anymore.

It will be a test for sure [for Pakistan batting] but looking at how things have changed since 2015, our bowling attack, especially the spin attack, is not as experienced as it used to be.

But I think Pakistan’s batting isn’t a concern as I am looking forward to seeing a competition between their bowling going up against Sri Lanka’s batting. Our top seven are very experienced and it will be interesting to see how they will perform against the Pakistan spin attack consisting of Yasir Shah, Noman Ali and Mohammad Nawaz.

They also have the pace attack of Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf who can make use of reverse swing which is generally available in Galle.

So if they manage to use that, they will be extremely handy. And we all know that when the ball is reversing, Pakistan are probably the best bowling attack to exploit that.

Roshan Abeysinghe: 

There is a clear class difference in the Pakistan batting lineup. I know Mohammad Rizwan is good but there is a gulf in class between Babar Azam and the rest. The dependency on Babar is a little too high. So if Pakistan wants to succeed, the rest of the batting must deliver as well.

Q. Yasir Shah has been included in the Pakistan squad after a while. Do you think he still has what it takes to deliver at the highest level?

Russel Arnold: 

I think he [Yasir] will [have an impact]. We have noticed over the last few months and years when the conditions are favourable for spinners here, even Sri Lanka [batters] have struggled. Wrist spinners are always good to have in the team because of the variety and energy they bring to the table. Yasir has that skill and with the experience, he brings along, he is an excellent addition to the squad and will be a threat.

Farveez Maharoof: 

Definitely, he is a class bowler and I have played against him in the U19 days, so I know his capabilities. He is someone who can rip apart a batting lineup in a session with the armoury and the variations he has. So no better place to resume your international career as a spinner than in Galle where when it spins, it spins big. So if he will get his line and length right, Sri Lanka batters will have a torrid time.

Roshan Abeysinghe: 

I don’t know where Yasir Shah’s confidence is but with the amount of experience he has, if he can become Pakistan’s Nathan Lyon and bowl with a consistent line and length, Sri Lanka will struggle unless their [Sri Lanka] spinners make themselves count, especially if the conditions are similar to the ones against Australia in the first Test.

Q. How important it is for Sri Lanka to tackle Babar Azam?

Russel Arnold: 

You have to be disciplined [against Babar]. You have to bowl well against him and the others with a plan. He is the kind of batter against whom it is hard to find a weakness. If there is any breathing space, we know what Babar will do. He will not only get away but he will take the game away for Pakistan. So our bowlers will have to be disciplined and choke him from getting easy runs. We have to test his patience and hopefully, it will work in our favour.

Farveez Maharoof: 

I am looking forward to how Azhar Ali and Babar Azam will perform against this bowling attack. I think these two batters will perform well if the conditions are good for batting. So if Sri Lanka want to win, they must get rid of these two players as soon as possible. They are quality players.

Roshan Abeysinghe: 

I think Babar Azam stands head and shoulders above many in the world. I believe he is someone who gets unnoticed, unfortunately. He doesn’t get the attention he deserves. I think he is as good as any player in the world. He has a lovely wrist, and he is like an artist. Such a delight to watch him play. So, yes he is a threat to Sri Lanka and we need to find a way to get him out as soon as possible.

Q. Sri Lanka struggled against Australia in the Test series. How can they fix things before the series against Pakistan?

Russel Arnold: 

The problem initially is for someone to score big runs and give the bowlers something to work with. So Karunaratne has been the man who is consistent at the top of the order along with Angelo Mathews but I believe for Sri Lanka to really shine and take a step forward, Pathum Nissanka has to be that person to make the difference. Apart from that, one of the spinners will also have to stand up. I like what I see of Prabuth Jayasuriya. If he brings the same kind of control in the match against Pakistan then hopefully that will make a difference.

Farveez Maharoof: 

It is crystal clear that Sri Lanka’s spin attack does not have an ample amount of experience. Not sure if Lasith Embuldeniya will be a part of the squad because he was released after the first Test against Australia. Maybe he will play against Pakistan in the tour match and if he performs well there, then he might well have a say in the first Test.

Even if you look at the fast-bowling there is not much experience there but they’ve done well in the series in Bangladesh so I think they will be alright if they manage to keep the line and lengths in check. But yes definitely, the spin attack is a worry for me. There are a lot of options and these are the best available ones in the circuit but in terms of experience, there is for sure some concern.

Roshan Abeysinghe: 

Sri Lanka’s batting is extremely good and experienced so I don’t think there is any reason for concern there. But our spinners are inexperienced and that was the problem in the first Test in Galle. I agree that the batters should’ve put more runs on the board but if you look at their performance in the first innings, only two probably got out playing a rash shot. All others were dismissed on the good deliveries of the Australia bowlers.

But I think that was a decent total and if Sri Lanka had more experienced bowlers compared to the ones they have now, it would be a totally different ball game, considering Australia were five down with 90 more runs to get in the first innings. It is to do with the lack of experience of the Sri Lanka spinners.

If you look at how Nathan Lyon bowled in the second innings when Sri Lanka batters decided to go hard against him but he kept on bowling according to the plan and did not change his line or length. Contrary to that when Cameron Green and Alex Carey decided to go after Sri Lanka spinners, they stopped bowling according to their plan and that is down to inexperience.

If on that surface we would have someone like Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Parera, things would’ve been completely different.