Minus Mathews, 25/1 Sri Lanka take on 7/2 hoodoo haunted South Africa

UPUL THARANGA: The onus will be on him as stand in captain to lewad from the front.

KUSAL MENDIS: Has been previewed by experts in England as the player to watch in SL team.

A chip on the shoulder highly fresher laden Sri Lanka with a few old horses launch their big stakes campaign for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in their opening Group B match against South Africa, the ODI No.1 team in the world tomorrow Saturday at the Oval. Outsiders at 25/1 odds Sri Lanka face the championship that puts hosts England and reigning champions India as tournament favourites along with Australia and South Africa.

The downsizing takes a further blow by the news that skipper Angelo Mathews would be a non starter by the recurrence of a plaguing calf injury. The showpiece on English soil will carry an interesting air of sorts  showdown that casts the long hoodoo haunted South Africa rated with their best ever chance of breaking that black mark. Indeed, at 7/2 A.B. De Villiers men will be buoyed by the ODI World No.1 status South Africa currently basks in; an aroma that would be further fermented by the leading from the front No 1 batsman reputation AB De Villiers carries as well as the No1 bowler, Kagiso Rabada there. South Africa are tipped to break their big-tournament hoodoo having whitewashed Australia and Sri Lanka before and their 2-1 series defeat to the hosts England must be assessed from the narrow margins.

Coach Graham Ford’s eve of Sri Lanka’s championship opener comments that ‘We have some of the best ball-strikers in world cricket’ would of course, take some doing by the team to back. That is knowing that their most tried and tested player skipper Angelo Mathews would not take the field against South Africa from a recurring calf injury that has plagued his career of late. This setback that would see Upul Tharanga lead the team, would most certainly be a handicap the team would have to brave. Mathews 95 against Australia in the warm up had been big muscle knowing the tremendous acumen he possesses with the bat. Another downsizing factor Sri Lanka would need to mount would be 7 ODI losses this year.

In a scenario of having to perform with the best available in the circumstances, the preview ratings flitting in from England rates veteran fast bowler Larsith Malinga of ODI hat-trick fame as Sri Lanka’s star player considering the menacing toe crushing slinger reputation Malinga basks in that has fetched him a world record of 4 hat-tricks. On the blocks against Australia in a T20 tour Down Under few months ago from long injury lay off, Malinga continues to command the respect of world experts for his wicket taking ability. Twenty-two year old batting find Kusal Mendis has been rated as the player to watch from the Sri Lankan camp for the run accumulating depth with which he broke in to the big stage over an year ago.

Australia, as reigning world champions is rated at odds 3/1), England (5/2) South Africa (7/2) New Zealand (9/1) and India (9/2).

 By Srian Obeyesekere

-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-