5 Reasons why England can win the ODI series vs Sri Lanka
England and Sri Lanka square off in a five-match ODI series beginning on Wednesday, the 10th of October, 2018 with the tourists being the firm favourites for the tie despite the Asian side's formidable record at home over the years.
Sri Lanka are a side in disarray at the moment with their debacle at the 2018 Asia Cup, where they were knocked out at the group stages itself following defeats to Afghanistan and Bangladesh, followed by the ouster of skipper Angelo Mathews citing fitness issues when it was more a case of him being made a scapegoat more than anything else.
England, on the other hand, heads into the contest on the back of a hugely successful outing at home against India, across all formats and have been a force to reckon with in ODIs over the past few years with their bold selections and approach to the 50-over format.
Here are 5 reasons why England can continue their winning run and defeat Sri Lanka on their own turf in the 5-match ODI series:
#5 Sri Lanka's lack of depth
It is clear that Sri Lanka are struggling to find the players needed to lift their side back to their glory days, both from a talent perspective as well as leadership.
They are still struggling to replace the likes of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara and look pale with the ball with Lasith Malinga no longer the force he once was.
A number of players have been tried out but very few give the impression that they are made out for the long run while the constant chopping and changing are also not helping things.
Consistency in performances has been lacking with the selectors often forced to bring back players whose ODI future were once written off. None of the senior players has stood up and shown the leadership required to their side out of the troubled waters they find themselves in.
Sri Lanka does not have a single player amongst the Top-15 ranked ICC batsmen or bowlers while the only member in the Top 10 of the all-rounders' list - Angelo Mathews - is not a part of the ODI squad against England.