by Jatila Karawita
The Sri Lankan cricket team, chosen to represent the country at this year's Commonwealth Games which starts next Wednesday in Malaysia, sees the exclusion of a world class cricketer Roshan Mahanama and another notable speedster Sajeewa de Silva. What is conspicuous about Mahanama's absence is that in this instance he has been glaringly left out considering the fact that at least four specialist batsmen in Captain Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya are being rested.

Thus, the omission of Mahanama, a record breaker himself, comes as one of the biggest surprises sprung out by the selectors as far as this tour squad is concerned. As everyone in the country knows, his name was earlier listed in the 22-member squad. Even Sports Minister, Dissanayake felt Mahanama's talents deserved selection for the Commonwealth. However, with the final 14-member squad being named on Friday the hot potato dropped by the selectors was the freezing of Mahanama.

Mahanama was sent to Australia about four weeks back on the intervention of Minister, Dissanayake in the immediate aftermath of his exit from the side to England to rectify what the selectors called a flaw in his technique, under former Australian greats such as Greg Chappel and Rod Marsh. And on his return home, he is made to languish in the wilderness yet again by the selectors.

As for young Sajeewa de Silva, who at one time specialised as a one-day pacee and was Chaminda Vaas 'regular partner able to bowl an useful yorker until he lost his place following a bad patch, the left armer showed a return to form against South Africa 'A'. It was felt that his showing at 'A' level warranted a place for the Commonwealth where fully fledged sides would not be competing.

The question that arises here is why the selectors still deem him to be out of form instead of having the way for a gradual come back.

And when one comes to think of the omissions, particularly the experienced Mahanama what followers of the game here could think is that some unknown hand behind the scene of the cricket establishment in all probability have gone on to push out from the scene, a cricketer who has time and again taken Sri Lanka to victory from a crunch situation, revelling in the No. 7 slot.