Somewhere in 2016, Sri Lanka Under-19 were taking on England Under-19 in a quarterfinal game of the U19 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s innings was mostly about how Avishka Fernando dismantled an England attack comprising three bowlers who went on to play for the senior team. In the midst of Fernando’s array of shots was Charith Asalanka’s scratchy 34. He never really found his batting rhythm, but he hung around to compile a crucial hand. He also shared a vital stand of 69 with Fernando to guide Sri Lanka to a memorable win.
Asalanka also was the captain of that Under-19 side. At that moment, it seemed as if the gritty Asalanka might have the qualities to lead Sri Lanka’s senior side at some point of time in his career. As it happened, in July last year, Asalanka was named the skipper of Sri Lanka’s T20I and ODI sides. He has already showcased his mettle in the one-day arena by captaining his country to 13 victories in 19 games. The Island Nation’s ranking in 50-over cricket has also jumped up from 9th to 4th.
Sanath Jayasuriya, the current head coach, had this to say about his captain: “Charith Asalanka has played a key role alongside me. What we have done is to give players confidence and get the best out of them. Players worked very hard, and that hard work that we put in has enabled us to move forward.”
One of the salient features of any good captain is to win the respect of the rest of the side. And the only way to do it is by putting up consistent performances – Runs or wickets are your currency. Asalanka has certainly done that in the 50-over format, having notched up 703 runs at an average of close to 44 as the skipper. More importantly, he averages 46.92 while batting at the tricky No. 5 position.
Sri Lanka’s next assignment, though, is pertaining to the shortest format – T20 Asia Cup, to be held in the UAE. Asalanka would know that he has some work to do on that front. The southpaw batter averages a mere 24.83 and has a strike rate of below 130 in that format. As a captain, too, he averages just over 20 in T20Is.
When on song, Asalanka has the uncanny ability to frustrate the opposition. At times, his batting might look ungainly but it is largely effective in the 50-over version. In the Asia Cup, it is imperative that Asalanka leads from the front with the willow in hand, and in a format where he has grappled to come to terms with it.
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