Tuesday 16 December 2014 00:43, UK
England’s players have one last chance to put their hands up for a World Cup place when they face Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
England go into the seventh one-day international 4-2 down in the series, so the selectors are likely to give a final chance to those who need a big performance to cement their place in the final 15-man World Cup squad, which will be announced on Saturday.
Our attitude is that every time we put an England shirt on, we go out there to win the game.
Skipper Alastair Cook is potentially one of them, with head coach Peter Moores admitting on Sunday that his out-of-form captain is not guaranteed a place.
All-rounder Ben Stokes is another. The Durham star has had a lean time with bat and ball in Sri Lanka, and he may be given one last chance to prove his worth in Colombo.
Sussex all-rounder Chris Jordan has probably done enough to book his place, and he insists that no-one is thinking beyond Tuesday’s match.
"We thought we had a really good chance of winning (the series). As a squad, we have been really close to putting together a full performance," he said.
"The mood has been as good as ever. We’re looking forward to the game on Tuesday. Our attitude is that every time we put an England shirt on, we go out there to win the game.
"The fans have travelled a long way to see up perform. We plan on putting on a really good show for them.
"I don’t think you can look further than this game. After this game, we have a little bit of a rest period. Individually, we can go away and think about our game, think about areas we can improve individually and as a team."
For the hosts, it will be an emotional day for two of Sri Lanka’s modern greats. Batsman Mahela Jayawardene has hinted that he will be quitting international cricket after the World Cup.
Jayawardene quit Test cricket earlier this year, and on Monday morning he tweeted: "Going for my last practice session with the boys at home. Going to have some fun."
That suggests that the World Cup will be his final tournament in Sri Lanka colours.
If so, Tuesday’s match will be the last time he and his close friend Kumar Sangakkara will play together on home soil.
Sangakkara made his ODI farewell to his home-town support in Kandy on Saturday with a century in the series-clinching victory. He will however continue to play Test cricket after the World Cup.
The duo, close friends, have shared 36 century stands across all formats, including the biggest stand in Test history.
Sri Lanka face England in the final ODI on Tuesday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports 2 HD at 8:30am.
