"If given a chance ... I'll join the team again" -- Dilshan

"If given a chance ...

I'll join the team again" -- Dilshan

Former opening batsman of Sri Lanka team Thillekeratna Dilshan says that when looking at the decline of the present Sri Lanka team, he feels like entering the international arena once again.

"Before I left the game I had an idea of playing till the 2019 World Cup. It is because of the manner in which I was accumulating runs and my fitness that I thought I could go as far as the 2019 World Cup tournament. But because of some issues that raised its head I thought I would give a place to

youngsters and thus left the team. Of course I may not be able to come into the spotlight immediately by doing big things straightaway ... however I believe I could do something; at least I would be ale to share my experiences", Dilshan said.

There are records of some renowned players who first said that they would quit the game of Cricket but entered the game later on once again. Among such figures are Pakistan's Javed Miandad, Imran Khan (Pakistan's present prime minister), Saeed Afridi, Australia's Bob Simpson, Carl Hooper of the West Indies, Grant Flower of Zimbabwe, Tiv Tikoralo of Kenya and Kevin Peterson of England.

Dilshan who played his last match 2 years back against Australia in Dambulla later took played in various parts of the world. Dilshan who presently plays as captain for Mas Unichela team in the mercantile cricket tournament has of course still not retired from the game as such.

"The most serious issue at the moment is to find a stabilised opening pair for one-day matches. Though Upul Tharanga, Niroshan Dikwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Dhanushka Gunatilleka and Kusal Perera were tried; all such experiments came to nought. Since I play for Unichela team, I of course engage in training. I left the game by totally dismissing all thoughts about the 2019 World Cup. But now I feel that I could contribute something in that connection. If I do get a chance ... I would give it a second thought".

Of the 2 matches we lost in the Asian Cup tournament, inclusive of the 5 games played in Sri Lanka against South Africa last August; in all 7 one-day games of Sri Lanka, the opening partnerships are recorded as 0, 22, 50, 61, 20, 13 and 2. In both matches where the opening partnership yielded 50 and 61 (Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dikwella), Sri Lanka was able to clinch a win against the South Africa team and the number of runs amassed at the end of the innings in both those games at the end of 50 overs was 299 for 8 and 306 for 7 in 39 overs.

Before leaving the international Cricket arena, Dilshan had acquired 10,290 runs in 330 one-day matches with 22 centuries to his credit while his average in the case of a single one-day match was 39.27 and his scoring rate per 100 balls was 86.23 and now Dilshan keeps his fingers crossed till he is given an opportunity.