The Japan Times - England look to fine tune for T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka series

The three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, all to be played at Pallekele starting on Friday, is less about experimentation and more about fine tuning ahead of the format's showpiece tournament, which will be co-hosted by the island nation alongside neighbours India.

Since their painful semi-final exit at the last World Cup in the Caribbean, England have found their feet in the shortest format, winning four series, drawing two and losing just one.

"We have a good record over the last couple of years and we need to carry that momentum into the World Cup," England opening batter Phil Salt said.

"The key for us is a series win here.

"Any series win away from home is valuable and we are really looking forward to the first game," the 29-year-old added.

Salt, ranked number two in the world, has been one of the most destructive forces in T20 cricket, striking at 168 with four hundreds and seven fifties in a brief but explosive international career.

Yet the right-hander was quick to deflect attention from individual brilliance, pointing to England's depth as their real trump card.

"The middle order is never the easiest place to bat, but we have versatile guys with very high strike rates who can take the game away from the opposition," Salt said.

"If you look at someone like Harry Brook, he showed everyone what he's capable of in the last game," Salt added, referencing Brook's unbeaten 136 in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday.

- 'Do a job for us' -

England have also quietly strengthened their spin bowling stocks, a factor that underpinned their recent success in the ODI series, where they fielded as many as six spin options and in one match, bowled 40 overs of spin out of 50.

"It's a huge bonus for us," Salt said.

"We play our first-round games in Mumbai and Kolkata (in India) and sometimes you need different options depending on conditions.

"Having that variety is important because we know spin will play a big role in this part of the world."

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have recalled opening batter Kusal Perera after earlier indicating the left-hander was not in their World Cup plans.

Perera boasts one of the highest strike rates among Sri Lankan batters and also provides cover behind the stumps.

"Although he didn't play the recent T20 series against Pakistan, given his ability to bat anywhere in the top six, we know his value to the team," Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka said.

"Hopefully he can do a job for us. His experience is vital."

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera also returns after being rested for the ODI series against England.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who missed the first two ODIs and struggled late in the third, raised concerns over a recurring hamstring issue, but Shanaka played down the alarm bells.

"Chameera, with his pace, can trouble batters and he's accurate, which makes him hard to hit," Shanaka said.

"Hasaranga was just having cramps, nothing serious. With both of them in the squad, our bowling looks strong."

H.Takahashi--JT