PALLEKELE Sept 26: Sri Lanka could turn to uncapped teenager Akila Dananjaya if spinner Ajantha Mendis fails to recover from injury in time for the World Twenty20 Super Eights game against New Zealand at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

“He’s certainly very close to playing,” Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said on Wednesday. “He was probably going to play against South Africa and then the game got reduced and there was the chance he would’ve been bowling with a wet ball.

“He was going to get a game there and he’s certainly not here just to carry the drinks.”

Ford said the 18-year-old Dananjaya, who bowls four varieties of spin, could be a useful weapon.

“He’s got a lot of variations with good control and it’s going to take any batsman who hasn’t seen him a bit of time to work out what he does,” said Ford. “In this format of the game that’s quite an advantage.”

The 25-year-old Mendis took 6-8 against Zimbabwe — the best figures in all Twenty20 cricket — in the Group ‘C’ match before a side strain ruled him out of his team’s second outing, against South Africa at Hambantota.

Team manager Charith Senanayake said Mendis’s progress will be monitored, while Ford feared it would be a big blow if Mendis fails to recover.

“With the way he bowled and the X-factor he brings, it would be a big blow,” said Ford.

“In T20 cricket you want guys who can win matches on their own and he’s one of those guys,” said Ford of Mendis, who only returned to international cricket during this World Twenty20 after an eight month injury lay-off.

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor expects spin to play a part in the Super Eights as all matches will be double-headers.

“Spin has been very successful in this form of the game,” said Taylor. “With two games tomorrow, the wicket could deteriorate and take a bit of turn for the second game and not the first game.

“The main message is to be aggressive and not let them settle.”

Teams (from): SRI LANKA: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Angelo Mathews, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Dilshan Munaweera, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Shaminda Eranga, Akila Dhananjaya.

NEW ZEALAND: Ross Taylor (captain), Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, B.J. Watling, James Franklin, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Ronnie Hira, Adam Milne.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Simon Taufel (Australia).

TV umpire; Steve Davis (Australia).

Match referee: Javagal Srinath (India).—Agencies