Kaluwitharana seeks discipline,Pakistan A get consolation win

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka A won the three-match one-day series against Pakistan A 2-1 but their primary objective to provide a steady flow of players to the senior team remains a concern.
On Saturday, a 93-ball 96 from Mukhtar Ahmed and Fawad Alam’s unbeaten 76 helped Pakistan A to a consolation win over Sri Lanka A in the final unofficial ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Chasing 278, Israrullah was trapped leg before by Nisala Tharaka in the seventh over. Mukhtar was then involved in two 70-plus partnerships with Khurram Manzoor and captain Fawad Alam, where he struck 11 fours and two sixes before falling to Lakshan Sandakan in the 31st over.
Pakistan had put Sri Lanka in, who rode on fifties from openers Jayasuriya (67) and Kusal Perera (87) and a couple of 20-plus scores from their middle order to finish on 277 in 47.2 overs. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim picked up 4 for 29
“Winning is the key for me in any form of game but at the same time if we can produce a few players to the national side then my role as coach is fulfilled,” Romesh Kaluwitharana, Sri Lanka A’s coach for the past five years, said.
“The major factor I see is discipline.”
“If players want to play a big role they will have to work really hard at their game. We have enough talent and with our little resources we have produced world-class players,” Kaluwitharana, who was part of Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning squad in 1996, said.