Angelo Mathews’ team are scrambling around for frontline batsmen after injuries to Chamara Kapugedera and Kusal Perera, while vice-captain Upul Tharanga is completing his two-match suspension.
Tharanga was sanctioned for overseeing a slow over rate in Sri Lanka’s opening defeat against South Africa – when Mathews himself was out, still recovering from a calf injury.
Kapugedera was then ruled out with a knee problem, and replaced for Sri Lanka’s shock victory over India by Danushka Gunathilaka, only for Perera to be forced off mid-innings at The Oval on Thursday with a hamstring injury.
Mathews’ men are therefore left hoping De Silva can prove a second able deputy, after Gunathilaka made 76 at the top of the order in the seven-wicket romp against India.
Perera also made a telling contribution before having to retire hurt, and Mathews said: “It’s a shame to lose Kusal, he batted extremely well – but Dhananjaya de Silva is also a very good player.
“We had to bring him into the squad because we are left with only seven batters at the moment.
“He has a good chance of playing, but we still haven’t decided.”
The prize for Monday’s winners will be a semi-final spot, almost certainly against England on Wednesday at the same venue rather than facing Bangladesh at Edgbaston 24 hours later.
Either way, Mathews will be wary of mercurial Pakistan.
“We all know they’re a very dangerous team. There’s no room for complacency in this kind of tournament,” he said.
Like Sri Lanka, Pakistan recovered from a discouraging defeat in their first match to then triumph over an out-of-sorts South Africa in Birmingham four days ago.
That was a result which added to their long-held reputation as an unpredictable team – a label batsman Mohammad Hafeez enjoys, because it keeps opponents on their toes.
“I’m always a fan of that tag. We are always like that, and I love it,” he said.
“We have the talent, but you never know when it (will happen).
“That always gives the opposition something to think about it. They never take us lightly.”
