All Time Sri Lankan Test XI
 

I know there's probably a thread for this, but I can't be asked to look for it and opinions may have changed. After reading the "Congrats Mahela" thread, this got me thinking.

This would be my all-time Sri Lankan Test XI:

M Atapattu
S Jayasuriya
K Sangakkara
M Jayawardene(c)
A de Silva
A Ranatunga
H Tillakaratne(w)
C Vaas
D Fernando
A Mendis
M Muralitharan

I know that perhaps Mendis in there seems premature but his stats are amazing and given time he will deserve to be in here. I know Fernando also seems strange, but Sri Lanka, apart from Vaas, have not had many good pace bowlers.

Dilhara Fernando?

I'd have Malinga over him easily.

My team:
Mendis has played only 5 tests, but he doesn't really have any other competition.

M Atapattu
S Jayasuriya
K Sangakkara
A de Silva
M Jayawardene
A Ranatunga (c)
R Kaluwitharana(w)
C Vaas
R Ratnayake
A Mendis
M Muralitharan

Haha, yeah. My first thought too, experience or no experience.

I'd put Zoysa in there over Fernando and Malinga. Malinga needs a few more years of Test cricket before hes a Sri Lankan all timer.

Is Sidath Wettimuny a better test player than Tillakaratne or Jayasuriya? stories from the past would suggest he was. I pick Romesh Ratnayke and Maling as my 2nd and 3rd seamers.

Atapattu
Jayasriya
Dias
De Silva
Sangakkara+
Jayawardene
Ranatunga*
Vaas
Muralitharan
Mendis/Rumesh Ratnayake - depending on conditions
Malinga

sanath jayasuriya
marvan attapattu
aravinda de silva
kumar sangakkara+
roy diaz
mahela jayawardene
arjuna ranatunga*
chaminda vaas
asantha de mel
ajantha mendis
muthiah muralitharan

Including the pre-Test playing players as well,

Marvan Atapattu (RH)
Sanath Jayasuriya (LH, SLA)
Kumar Sangakkara (c)
Aravinda de Silva (RH, OB)
Mahadevan Sathasivan (RH)
Mahela Jayawardane (RH)
Prasanna Jayawardana(wk)
Rumesh Ratnayake (RH, RFM) / Ravi Rathnayake (LH, RFM)
Chaminda Vaas (LH, lFM)
Lasith Malinga (RH, RF)
Mutthiah Muralidaran (RH, OB)

Until Mendis plays 20 tests, I'll have the judgment about him reserved.

Asanka Gurusinghe, Arjuna Ranatunga and Hashan Tillekaratne are mighty unlucky to miss out. So does Sidat Wettimuni.

2nd XI will be,

Sidat Wettimuny (RH)
Malinda Warnapura (LH, OB)
Asanka Gurusinghe (LH, RMF)
Anura Tennakoon (RH, RM)
Arjuna Ranatunga (LH, RMF, c)
Hashan Tillekaratne (LH, OB/SLA, wk)
Thilan Samaraweera (RH, OB)
Asantha de Mel (RH, RFM)
Nuwan Zoysa (LH, LFM)
Somachandra de Silva (RH, LBG)
TB Kehelgamuwa (RH, RF)

Anura Tennakoon was a classy right hand batsman who could play well on any surface. Able to play defensively and also was able to eviscerate attacks when mood set in. His 6 fours off an English bowler in a couty game is well documented for the attacjing skills he possessed.

TB Kehelgamuwa is the first 90mph bowler SL possessed. Tall and huge, he produced un-nerving bounce and movement. The way he cleaned up Geoff Boycott during a tour match with his awesome pace is a well known story. He was amongst the quickest bowlers in the era, and had the nasty element with him, what his predecessors like Malinga and Fernado lacking despite able to produce pace.

How can you include pre-test players for an all time test XI:unsure:

Yeah, soft option for mine.

Sathasivan option for mine.

Don't think picking Sri Lankan players who didn't play test cricket. As contentors for the All-Time XI is out of the question.

Given that their history is short, if the pre-test player was good & had a good reputation amongst his peers, they definately should be considered.