Paranavitana to open with Dilshan in Tests against Pakistan - de Mel

Thank god.......... suranga lakmal not selected.and seems like Tharanga will not play as a opener.new opener have chance.(sanath its your time. lol

The thing that concerns me about this move is that Para failed and was replaced by Lahiru and now Para is back. I do realize players dont need to be dropped once and forever but concern about SLC's merry-go-round selecton policy of selecting failed players time and again for no apparent reason.

I don't know what Ashantha is talking about.

The following is from an interview I did with Thirimanne in 2010,

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"At which position in the Sri Lankan batting line up would you like to see yourself batting in?"

Thirimanne: "I would like to open batting. When I played for my school, I opened batting. But I have batted at number three and four for my club, so any spot in the top order is fine."

Full interview: http://www.islandcricket.lk/interview/sr...

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Tharanga is the second highest run-maker as an opener in ODIs for SL?

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/...

And he's been demoted because Ashantha thinks he has an issue with his technique?

I know ill get flack for this but I like Para opening.

Tharanga has never really played test cricket, I don't know why but if he hasn't played already I doubt he will.
Dilshan needs a more calm and cool opening partner, and seeing Para and Lords in 2011 I was convinced that while inexperienced, he can do a damn good job.
Thirrimane is too slashy for my liking - note that his high score in ODI has come batting down the order, so he looks like a good floater for now, for example pairing up with Angie to take it to the opposition.

But on the whole, I think its a good choice in Para opening.

Bring on the arguments!

In the article Ashantha says: "He [Tharanga] is playing well away from his body and that is why we have decided to bring him down the order in the ODIs and play him in the middle where he has contributed."

Tharanga's is one of our most successful ODI openers, so it's hard to understand what the chairman of selectors is talking about.

Ashantha de Mel, true to form, talks gibberish and conveniently ignores the facts and figures.

Upul Tharanga has 12 ODI hundreds - more than Sanga, Marvan and Aravinda. I guess de Mel has forgotten that Dilshan plays well away from his body too.

I'm not a fan of Parananvitana's batting: he makes Ken Barrington and Geoffrey Boycott look like swashbuckling dashers. He gets bogged down [only 1 gear] and doesn't rotate the strike.

I think de mel is complete idiot. He have no clear sense of mind and he should be fired from he's post immediately. For the opening in the test think it's time to find 2 new openers dilshan clearly can't play against moving ball and he's so week against swing bowling he might be a successful in flat pitches but always get out early in the bowling friendly wickets. And about para and thirimanne there's nothing to talk about they have not enough temperament or talent to be successful test openers. I think we should try dinesh chandimal any maybe kandabbi or bhanuka as new openers i think they are worth giving opportunity

this is my observation, I have seen lots of time Tharanga getting out in Slip cordon or keeper. Especially playing against Aus, if there is a fast bowler who can move the ball away from left-hander, then we could see Tharanga in trouble. I have seen bowlers like Nathan Bracken, Zaheer Khan, Mitchel Jhonson doing this trick. I think Tharanga exploits the condition really well in Asian and less seaming wickets.