The experience of playing in pressure situations and interacting with overseas players and coaches are some of the benefits that Sri Lanka’s national head coach Mickey Arthur sees from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which is scheduled to begin later this month.

Sri Lanka’s new franchise based tournament will begin on November 26, and Arthur views the LPL as an opportunity for players who are currently not in the plans of national team selectors to come into consideration.

“Our strategy is pretty set up already and I am very clear on how we want our players to play and who the right players are based on world trends and the brand of cricket that we want to play. However, franchise tournaments always throw up some new names and this is a wonderful opportunity for players to put their names up for selection,” Arthur said in an interview distributed to the media by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

“I am always on the lookout for young, fresh talent that is just crying out for opportunity, provided they fit the criteria into what we are looking for and I think they can provide match-winning performances of international cricket standards, then I will take a good hard look at them,” he also said, though he was aware of a step up could also be challenging.

“One must be cautious though, as there is still a gulf between internationals cricket and franchise tournaments.”

Arthur also emphasized how a tournament like the LPL could help the development of some of those younger players.

“I have seen in leagues that I have been involved with around the world how the players grow because of the excitement of the pressures and expectations, the interaction with overseas players and coaches, and being around a professional environment,” he said.

“…young players grow because of the fact that they are mixing with overseas players and Sri Lanka’s best players and can watch, observe and learn as to how they go about their preparation and match day planning. There are many ways it enhances our player development with the most important one being teaching players how to perform under pressure as this is an art that comes with experience, the LPL will provide them with that opportunity”

Arthur also voiced a sense of relief that the tournament will also see his players returning to competitive cricket, which they have been deprived of for the most part of this year.

“The most pleasing aspect for me is the fact that our players are going to be out there playing competitive cricket again as it has been a long frustrating time for all of us. Any number of net sessions and training can never replicate tough hard competitive cricket and that is what our players are going to get before some very tough international cricket coming up,” he was quoted as saying.

Sri Lanka’s next international series will be a two-Test series in South Africa in December, and SLC will conduct a training camp in Pallekele beginning Friday, focusing on that tour.

A training squad of 22 players will travel to Kandy and will be in a bio-secure bubble, before those who are participating in the LPL will travel to Hambantota and the rest return to Colombo on November 22.

The Test squad will leave for South Africa December 17 and will play one warm up match, against a South Africa Invitation XI in Benoni ahead of the first Test in Centurion on Boxing Day.