6-1-4 delusion

There is a massive misinterpretation of T20I team selection that SL does, which I think as the core reason for failure. Let's try to realize this with the details of Asia cup. 

SL team is selected based on 6-1-4 combination. i.e. 4 bowlers, 6 batters and one all rounder. Many would say, that that is how every other country does. It is WRONG.

T20I teams contain 5 front-line bowlers and 6 batters. The most important part is the 5 front-line bowlers. These bowlers should be able to bowl their full quota of 4 overs most of the time. they should be attacking every over, not bowling for the sake of passing some overs. This idea of "passing some overs" is very very wrong. Even if you truly pass those overs for a very little runs, it allows the opposition to settle. Modern T20I cricket is constant attacking in every over until somewhere the opposition breaks open.

Let's take the other four top Asian teams. These are the five front-line bowlers of those teams.

India: Two of (Bumra, Arshdeep, Rana), Kuldeep, Axar, Varun (Pandya is a near perfect front-line bowler too)

Pakistan: Shaheen, Rauf, Farhim, Nawaz, Abrar (Saim is a near perfect front-line bowler too)

Afghanistan: Farooqi, Asmatullah, Nabi, Mujeeb/Noor, Rashid
Bangladesh: Three of (Tanzim, Shoriful, Taskin, Frizz), Mehedi, Rishad

Look, some are ALL ROUNDERs !!! You may say. True. But they are front-line attacking bowlers even at that point. It is the attacking front-line bowler that matters more than being an all rounder. Latter is just a bonus.

SL does NOT have any all rounders who can be called attacking front-line bowlers. Angelo was the only one. (Some even suggest that he may still come back. And he really did not retire from white ball knowing that the team has a hole fitting his size) Because we lack this kind and misinterpreting other teams' selection as 6-1-4, we always select only 4 front-line attacking bowlers and a 50% bowling all rounder. And then we have to "pass some overs" in the middle to compensate for this. And that is where the opposition looses the shackles.

A notable period of bowling is overs 11-16. This stretch is the point where many teams bowl their best attacking bowlers. This is the time when India broke SL's run chase of 202, and Pakistan's strong innings in the final. Take any game, they always bowl your best attacking bowlers and gained the control in that stretch.

Now take SL. This is the stretch where Asalanka has to "pass some overs" hence try Dassa Kamindu or himself. It helps the opposition. SL's returns of overs to 11-16 while bowling is very poor. this is the time when Bangladeshi sixth wicket pair consolidated in the very first game. A mistake in "passing the overs" in this stretch made a 50% bowler bowl the final over to Nabi in Afghan game. India lost control with Abhishek's wicket but poor 11-16 overs allowed Samson and Verma to consolidate. Even Pakistan lost 5 wickets yet consolidated in the space of overs 11-16. Why? There is no attack what so ever. We are still "passing overs" - a tactic T20 cricket has completely stopped doing. And we have to do so as we do not have five bowlers. And we still think in 6-1-4.

The key point is that SL should play five attacking bowlers. Probably three fast bowlers from (Chameera, Thushara, Matheesha, Binura, Asitha, Eshan, ... etc). We only have two T20I class spinners so Waniya and Theekshana are a must. We should not bother about their batting skills. More than that we should think how attacking they can be.

That leaves only 6 slots for batters. If Dasun Shanaka comes in as a batter I have no issue, but then someone else in the top 6 must make way for him. But he should not waste a front-line bowler slot.
This may not solve everything. Batting collapses may happen. But even in that case the batting weaknesses are quickly fixed when you have limited 6 batters. In the long run, what we should do is to improve the batting skills of those bowlers. Waniya is already doing well. Chameera shows some skills. The skill levels of Shaheen Shah is more than enough.

PS:
1. When I first said this, somebody commented that SL's coach must be knowing this well. I don't think so. He was very happy about Asia cup and I think he still lives in early 2000s in ODI cricket where SL had many 50% bowlers who "pass some overs" and won games for SL. Expect nothing like this.

2. It is very unfortunate that every time when I write about it the folks reply saying, how about giving a bowler's slot for Milan R , Ramesh Mendis, Chamindu W, Dunith etc. Well you are still effing choosing that all rounder crap. I have no issue if any of these guys getting selected as a 100% attacking frontline bowler. They are not yet there (they may get there). I am just saying that having batting skills should not be considered for the selection of five bowlers. Being an attacking bowler should only be the reason. Ppl are so deep with the all rounder crap that they still suggest all rounders as the solution for the fundamental mistake of selecting all rounders.