Spinner Maheesh Theekshana is poised to make his comeback in Tuesday's World Cup match against Pakistan after successfully recovering from a hamstring strain, announced assistant coach Naveed Nawaz on Monday.
Theekshana sustained the hamstring injury during last month's Asia Cup, forcing him to miss Sri Lanka's comprehensive defeat to South Africa in their tournament opener in New Delhi on Saturday.
Naveed Nawaz, Sri Lanka's batting coach, expressed confidence in Theekshana's availability for the upcoming game. Nawaz told reporters, "I think he should be available for this game. Obviously, we didn't want to take a risk with him in the first game and didn't want to go against the advice of the medicals."
Sri Lanka's bowling unit faced significant challenges after fast bowler Dushmanta Chameera and spin all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga were ruled out of the World Cup due to injuries. In their previous match against South Africa, Sri Lanka struggled as the opposition amassed a record total of 428-5, highlighting their bowling limitations.
With Theekshana set to lead the spin attack once again, Nawaz mentioned that they have devised a comprehensive plan to counter Babar Azam's side. "Somebody will have to come up and take wickets upfront and take wickets in the middle overs as well. We have a plan under our belt for that," he stated. "With Maheesh Theekshana coming in, I think our bowling attack is going to be a little bit stronger as well."
Pakistan began their World Cup campaign with a victory over the Netherlands, but are likely to face a more formidable challenge against the 1996 champions, Sri Lanka.
Head coach Grant Bradburn emphasised their advantage of having team director Mickey Arthur, who previously coached Sri Lanka from 2019 to 2021. Bradburn revealed, "We have a secret weapon, if you like, in Mickey Arthur, who has coached them before. We had our scouting meetings and video meetings this morning, and Mickey was a very, very handy addition to those meetings, adding some intricate insights about their batters and bowlers."
