COLOMBO, Dec 31: A top Sri Lankan cricket official has expressed grave concern over the country’s batting and says the national team’s future could be in serious trouble, the state-run Daily News reported on Saturday.

“The current batsmen are too much in the comfort zone due to a lack of ready replacements and I cannot but feel they are too complacent with some exceptions,” Michael Tissera, who was the team manager during Sri Lanka’s tour of India, was quoted as saying.

Sri Lanka lost the three-Test series 0-2. There was no result in one rain-curtailed opening Test at Chennai.

The Test sweep propelled India to the No 2 position in the world Test rankings behind Australia. Sri Lanka fell from fourth to seventh.

The team’s woes continued on Saturday when it suffered a seven-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first limited-overs international of a four game series held to conclude a tour abandoned last year when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit Sri Lanka.

Tillekeratne Dilshan paced Sri Lanka’s meagre total of 164 with 42 runs, but openers Sanath Jayasuriya (12) and Upul Tharanga (17) were out early, while Kumar Sangakkara, batting third, was out for a duck and Mahela Jayawardene, who followed him to the crease, was gone for one.

“In a country brought up on spin, the ineptitude to counter good spin and the thought and organization that goes into batting in these circumstances was disappointing. The heart and fight were missing and we went down meekly,” a report submitted by Tissera said.

“In general, the batsmen appeared to lack the temperament, determination and resolve, and capitulated meekly which was not only disappointing but sometimes embarrassing too.”

Tissera suggested that fast tracking the most talented young batsmen is a must and he has recommended to that four to six batsmen be sent to Australia for specialized coaching.

He has suggested Perth due to the fast bouncy wickets available there, Daily News said.

In his report, Tissera said three to four key cricketers were getting close to retiring age and the hunt for replacements must start now, “although it is already too late.”

“Batting, spin and pace bowling replacements should be foremost ....Sri Lanka cricket is at the cross roads and unless action is taken now we could face serious problems of turning out competitive teams at international level in the future.”—Agencies