Sangakkara all praise for Mendis

Nottingham: Calling Ajantha Mendis “an attacking bowler,” Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said bowlers of his ilk were a rarity.

“In Twenty20 cricket where the batsman has to attack almost every delivery he faces, to have a bowler like Mendis, with that mystery and that unpredictability, definitely adds to the attack,” said Sangakkara after Sri Lanka’s six-wicket win over Australia at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Ricky Ponting admitted that his side missed Andrew Symonds, who was sent home ahead of the tournament for breaching alcohol-related team rules. “His (Symonds) departure upset a lot of structures around the team,” the Aussie skipper said.

“Andrew is one of the best international players in this form of the game anywhere in the world. When you lose someone of that ability, it throws a spanner in your works.”

Ponting said he found it hard to comprehend Australia’s run of losses in T20.

“Actually, it is a worrying trend for the team and the group. We will address some of the areas we have been lacking in.