Sri Lanka captain Dilshan is enjoying the chance to lead his side into a new period after the retirements of Muralitharan and Malinga. Spinner Muralitharan, who quit the Test scene in July of last year, leave from all cricket after Sri Lanka's World Cup final defeat to India, while paceman Malinga has opted to give up the best version of the game due to a knee criticism.
The tourists have also been hit by wound to the imposing Nuwan Pradeep, who was set to earn an entrance when the first Test against England gets under way on Thursday. The nonattendance of their two bowling figureheads leaves them with an inexpert attack at the SWALEC Stadium, but opener Dilshan needs his side to prove that they are up to the confront of facing an England team new from a first Ashes win in Australia for 24 years.
The 34-year-old said:We are all international cricketers and have played a couple of matches on this tour and the skilled guys like Kumar and Mahela are used to these conditions. So we are looking onward to playing good Test match cricket as of tomorrow.
It's not easy playing here in early summer but as cricketers we have to take this tackle even though we haven't played outside home for a long time. This is a good confront for everybody.
We have a few young people who will get a chance and it will be good for their growth in international cricket. We are looking onward to a new era for Sri Lankan cricket.The skipper also feels his side can take confidence from their wins over Middlesex and the England Lions so far on travel around and Sri Lanka's 1-1 draw in their last three-Test series here in 2006.
He said:The last series we drew here and we have had good arrangements this time.The last two matches we have played well in the bowling and batting section. We were behind after two days of the last match but we batted well and the bowlers did a great job to bowl them out for 180 and that can give our bowlers confidence.
But Dilshan acknowledge it will be difficult for his side to adjust to not having the knowledge of Murali, Test cricket's record wicket-taker with 800, to call on.We can't find another Murali in Sri Lanka, he was a special guy for global cricket,said Dilshan.
But we have two young off-spinners in Mendis and Randiv so if we can get the utmost out of them it might be good for our future.Dilshan bear that he will go with six batsmen and five bowlers in Cardiff, with Herath the only spinner in the line-up and wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene batting at six.
The visitors also have a wound concern over Dilhara Fernando, with the seamer struggling with a sore knee.Herath has been bowling in fact well over the last few matches and he is a very knowledgeable guy who has play a lot of Test cricket over the last few years,added Dilshan.