Sri Lanka reaching end of line

Sanath Jayasuriya is one of the older members of the squad

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene has admitted that replacing his team’s veteran performers will prove tricky.

Batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and bowling pair Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas enjoyed successful World Cups, but all are 33 or older.

Former captain Marvan Atapattu, who lost his place in the World Cup line-up to Upul Tharanga, is 37 and another for whom the clock is ticking.

However, Jayawardene, a relative youngster at 29, is not planning for life without any of them yet as the team gears up for a busy rest of 2007.

“I think we need to speak to these individuals and try to find out what their plans are,” Jayawardene said.

“Take for instance Marvan Atapattu - I feel he still has a lot of cricket left in him. He did have a break from cricket for a while and he is very well charged now and can offer Sri Lanka a lot of opportunities.

“Other than Marvan the others who are really getting older are Sanath Jayasuriya, Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.

Mahela Jayawardene believes Marvan Atapattu still has some cricket in him © Getty Images

“I must say that the four of them to be replaced together will be very difficult. But I am sure we will have the talent and we will find the talent to do that.”

That quartet is unlikely to make another World Cup, but Jayawardene knows that four years is a long time in cricket.

Instead, his focus is on keeping the team’s winning mentality going, as well as introducing fresh blood into the side over time.

“We need to strike a proper balance in the team,” he continued. “While giving youngsters an opportunity is very good, the correct blend is also important.

“I also know that different people will have different views on the matter. But I feel we can’t plan for four years’ time now.

“We need to take it year by year and maybe then plan for the next two years. We definitely can’t plan for the next World Cup now.”

Sri Lanka are involved in the Afro-Asian Cup, welcome Bangladesh and England, tour world champions Australia and feature in the Twenty20 World Cup before the year is out.

Chaminda Vaas will be playing cricket for Middlesex rather than Sri Lanka © Getty Images

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But before that, Jayawardene leads his side - shorn of Muralitharan, Vaas and wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara - in the upcoming three-match series with Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

The series had been in some doubt after a lack of interest and problems with finance, but it goes ahead on May 18, 20 and 22 under the floodlights of the Sheikh Zayed stadium.

“Obviously it is another challenge, we are looking forward to it,” said Jayawardene.

“I am also determined that after a successful World Cup campaign that we must continue the hard work and make sure that our winning form will continue.

“We definitely have the players to do so despite losing some seniors for this tour.

“We have to look at our plans and strategies and decide how we want to play against Pakistan.”

Jayawardene was unhappy, though, that the series has been organised in the searing heat of the United Arab Emirates capital.

“The weather and the temperature was definitely our concern too,” he added.

“As cricketers we can not control such things at all. “We have definitely given our views to the [Sri Lanka Cricket] board as we felt that it is not ideal to play in such conditions after eight weeks of very hard work [at the World Cup].

“We are very mindful that we might have to consider lots of factors and as such we will also, depending on the heat and so on, look at managing players too.”