SL vs WI |Ā Sri Lankan team's future will be attacking gameplay, hails Mickey Arthur
SL coach Mickey Arthur shared that he is looking to imbibe an attacking mindset into his players and believes that its the only forward for the side. Arthur conceded thatĀ his top three - Karunaratne, Fernando and Perera - have the licence to go big as they need to exploit the powerplay overs.
Mickey Arthur looks all set for his first ODI assignment as Sri Lanka takes on West Indies in their backyard. Arthur had previously pushed for a specific role for players in the side, something which has worked miracles for sides he has previously coached, and further opened up about his plans prior to the series opener.
The South African is looking to add some sting to the Lankan bowling attack, something they missed in the World Cup, with the addition of leggie Wanindu Hasaranga and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan. Arthur believes that the addition of two completely different kinds of genuine wicket-takers will prove handy in the middle overs.
"The key to the wristspiners, and to playing both of them together, is genuine wicket-taking options for us through the middle. That is the key, and that's what wins you white-ball cricket games now. We want to play that brand of cricket. We are looking to attack and looking to take wickets," said Arthur, reported ESPNCricinfo.Ā
āI think that's the future for this team. I think in terms of our preparation, that's been the message. The message has been around attacking. We don't want to play defensive cricket anymore. That will be reflected in our selection. If the two wristspinners can do the job for us tomorrow, that will be fantastic, because they will take wickets.ā
On the batting front, Sri Lanka have a clear idea who their top six is. Each of those players has a specific job. Arthur is relying on his top three to go berserk during the powerplay to hand them the advantage from the get-go before the middle order gets in building on the strong foundation.
"The thing about our batting is that there is a license at the top of the order," Arthur said. "You've got Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando at the top of the order - dynamic. Kusal Perera will bat three. Avishka will open with Dimuth Karunaratne. They will have a licence to get us away in that Powerplay period. And 4, 5, 6 is Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva. Those are the guys who we want to control those overs 11-40.Ā
āAnd then hopefully, we'll have the likes of one of them, a Thisara Perera and a Wanindu, to finish it. If we script the perfect game, that's how it would work out. We know it doesn't always happen."