The odds appear stacked against the Sri Lankan cricket team on their tour of South Africa, which starts Friday with a three-day match against a South African Invitation XI in Benoni. The tourists will play three Tests and five one-day internationals, hoping to break a losing streak in both forms of the game. Sri Lanka have not won a Test match since defeating India in master spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan’s last Test in Galle in July 2010. Since then they have played 14 matches, losing four and drawing 10.
They have lost their three most recent series, against England, Australia and Pakistan, each by a 1-0 margin. Their record in one-day internationals is similarly unimpressive since they reached the World Cup final against India in Mumbai last April in what was Muralitharan’s last international appearance. They have lost successive series against England, Australia and Pakistan.
South Africa has not been a happy venue for Sri Lankan teams, although it will be their first tour of the country since the 2002/03 season. In seven Tests, South Africa have won six with one drawn. The hosts also hold a 12-5 edge in ODIs between the countries in South Africa – although in their most recent meeting Sri Lanka gained a convincing win in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
Former South African captain Kepler Wessels has dismissed Sri Lanka’s chances, saying the home selectors should use the Test series to introduce new players because of bigger challenges ahead, including away series against England and Australia next year. Wessels said a second-string South African team would be able to beat the Lankans. His comments drew a predictable response from star Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene, who said his team welcomed being labelled underdogs. “The statement is great ammunition for us to motivate ourselves and send a clear message to the players that this is how they are thinking about us so let’s try to change their mind,” he said.Sri Lanka appear desperately short of bowling firepower, particularly for the Test series, with Muralitharan having retired and Lasith Malinga available only for one-day games.
To compound the tourists’ problems, they have been hit by injuries to fast bowlers Suranga Lakmal, Shaminda Eranga, Nuwan Kulasekara and Dhammika Prasad.
When Lakmal became the latest to withdraw from the tour, chairman of selectors Duleep Mendis said no replacement would be named in the hope that one of the other injured players would recover in time to join the squad.
