The selectors hope Perera is set to establish himself

This may have convinced skipper Sanath Jayasuriya of the need to adopt a similar strategy.

But whilst fast bowling clinics will help, the Sri Lankan cricket scene must undergo a crucial change with groundsmen producing pitches which are pace oriented.

This will require all clubs to shed their individual needs and start focusing on a national objective, only then will pace bowling advance on the island.

Another reason for Sri Lanka to put their faith in pace is the lack of quality spinners filtering through.

With the exception of Muttiah Muralitharan, who stands head and shoulders above anybody in his trade not just nationally but internationally too, the Sri Lankan spin bowling cupboard is quite definitely bare.

Thilan Samaraweera, Dinuk Hettiarachchi and Rangana Herath are a very distant second to the great Murali.

This decline in spin standards can be attributed in part to the limited overs cricket played at junior level.

At the under-13, 15 and 17 levels, coaches are more interested in winning champiosnhips than developing quality cricketers.

One can now see a dearth of spinners in a land where the batsmen from around the world used to succumb to the wiles of the Ajith and DS de Silva, Kaluperuma and Shabandu in the not so distant past.

It should be noted that the lack of imagination when planning junior cricket is bound to deprive Sri Lanka of quality batsmen too.

So the trend towards pace is, for the time being, a sensible one.

Murali cannot go on for ever and Sri Lanka should have contingency plans.

Thankfully with Rumesh Ratnayake, one of the finest fast Bowlers produced by Sri Lanka, taking charge and assistance obtained from Australian Darryl Foster, young men with potential are fast emerging.

Ravindra Pushpakumara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Akalanka Ganegama and Prabath Nissanka are not in the one-day squad, but are all waiting for a call-up.

In a day and age where pace seem to be the accepted mode of attack, it is time Sri Lanka resorted to it sooner rather that later.