Dilshan has shed the 'flatters to device' tag to become a potential force for Sri Lanka
Dilshan has shed the 'flatters to device' tag to become a potential force for Sri Lanka
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As Australian captain I was pleased we met the West Indies in the 1975 World Cup final because it meant the two best and most aggressive sides were going to contest the decider at Lord's.
In contrast, this World T20 tournament has provided good cricket and plenty of surprises before throwing up two unexpected finalists.
The biggest surprise in a format that's supposed to be made for batsmen is that Sri Lanka and Pakistan have the best and most varied bowling attacks. Even more of a revelation has been the reliance of both teams on good spin bowlers to subdue the scoring and dismiss the opposition.
Competitive matches
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Sri Lanka's T Dilshan in an attacking mood during the ICC World T20 semi-final against West Indies at the Oval on Friday. PIC/BIPIN PATEL |
The other extremely encouraging aspect of the tournament has been the emergence of new stars and some young players with the potential to attain that status. Some of these players have helped both Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualify for the final.
For Sri Lanka, Tillakaratne Dilshan has finally shed the "flatters to device" tag to become a consistent threat at the top of the order. Dilshan has supplanted Sanath Jayasuriya as the top of the order threat in the Sri Lankan batting line-up and his clash with emerging young star Mohammad Aamer will be crucial to the result. The seventeen year-old's ability to surprise batsmen with his pace and keep the scoring under control in the powerplay overs has allowed Younis Khan to save the sensational Umar Gul for the final thrust.
Form and nerve
Dilshan has the form and nerve to disrupt Pakistan's successful formula and this should be his first task in the final. An early clash between Dilshan and Gul would add to the lustre of this final as they've been the stars of the tournament.
However, if Dilshan were to succeed in bringing forward Gul's arrival at the crease it wouldn't mean the end of Pakistan's chances. The re-birth of Shahid Afridi as a bowler has been a revelation and along with Saeed Ajmal this pair has controlled the middle overs like a well-trained security force.
If Dilshan is brought to heel and the Pakistan pair continues to take wickets as they have so far then Sri Lanka's threadbare middle-order would be exposed. However, there is a glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka in this regard; in addition to his sensational opening over in the second semi-final, Angelo Mathews looks to have the power and skill to boost an area of weakness.
There's also the suspicion that if Dilshan were to suffer a rare failure that both Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene would be primed to fill the breach.
Both teams have a skilful batsmen and bowlers and a fair supply of explosive match winners, which is crucial in such an abbreviated contest. However, Sri Lanka has the advantage in fielding and all-round stability; they are less likely to have a brain explosion in times of stress.
Sri Lanka will start slight favourites on a day that like the 1975 final, promises good cricket and entertainment at Lord's on the longest day of the summer. However, unlike 1975 there will be a curtain raiser and don't underestimate the part the women will play in what should be a thoroughly entertaining conclusion to a highly successful tournament.
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan: Live on Star Cricket, 19:20
Pak batters can come to the party
Pakistan's two best players of spin are Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq and I'd look for Ajantha Mendis' early arrival at the crease if Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi are threatening mayhem.
The great strength of both teams is the captain has many options to quell an opposition uprising and that's what makes this contest so tactically mouth watering. This is the main reason the sceptics have been won over; the matches have regularly featured a battle of wits out in the middle rather than a constant stream of big hits with the bowlers being reduced to cannon fodder. Pakistan's run scoring has been more evenly spread through the order but they depend on Akmal and the mercurial Afridi for the turbo boost at the start of the innings. Akmal is more likely to produce the "short, but sweet" innings and Afridi is prone to leaving his batting brain in the dug out and surrendering his wicket trying to achieve the outrageous.
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