Shadeep Silva sees opportunity to finally take on Sri Lanka

All the cricketers at the World Twenty20 will have their own reasons for wanting to excel.
For Shadeep Silva, the UAE spinner, reaching the second round could provide the chance to right a wrong that has gnawed at him for six years.
The Galle-born slow bowler has lived in the UAE for 12 years and been a mainstay of the side since he first became eligible eight years ago.
In that time he has a solitary official one-day international to his name.
Shadeep would trade that, as well as the rest of his UAE career, just to have the chance again to play the one game he missed at the 2008 Asia Cup.
His one-day international debut was the UAE's opener in that tournament, against Bangladesh at Karachi.
In terms of form and ability, he should have been a shoo-in for the next game, too.
But he was dropped as the decision was taken to give the fringe players in the squad a run out instead.
He was mortified to miss out, as that fixture was against Sri Lanka, the land of his birth.
"Looking back to that is painful," Shadeep said this week. "I was so sad about it, because I couldn't play against Sri Lanka.
"I played one match and that was OK, then played in all the matches in the ACC Trophy in Malaysia that followed – and the only one I missed was the one that meant the most to me.
"We played our full side against Bangladesh because we really wanted to win that game and thought we could. After that, the other players were given a chance."
If the UAE do produce an upset and top their qualifying group at the World Twenty20, which includes Zimbabwe, Netherlands and Ireland, they will earn a fixture against Sri Lanka at Chittagong on March 24. Shadeep is likely to take the new ball for the UAE at Sylhet.
The fact a spinner serves that role is testament to the bowling attack that is usually heavily loaded with slow bowlers.
He is used to it now, but Shadeep had never opened the bowling before arriving in the UAE, save for when bad light was threatening a two-day school match that he was playing in back in Sri Lanka.
"Shadeep is unusual, as he bowls with the new ball with a strange wrist position and actually seams the ball early on," said Aaqib Javed, the UAE's coach.
Shadeep said the subcontinental conditions should suit the national team better than their group rivals.
"Our team is good and there will be slow pitches which is in our favour," the 35-year-old spinner said. "I am so happy to still be part of the team.
"We are all hopeful we can make the second round."
pradley@thenational.ae
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