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Stand-in captain Graham Thorpe has claimed that England need to make some big decisions about their current one-day side after sliding to defeat in the three-match series with Sri Lanka.

Thorpe, filling in for the injured Nasser Hussain, witnessed his team lose their second one-day clash by 66 runs at the Premadasa Stadium.

Having lost the opener in Dambulla by five wickets, Sunday's result hands Sri Lanka the series with the final match on Tuesday remaining.

But it was the nature of England's defeat, sliding to 160 all out in reply to Sri Lanka's 226 for six, that has prompted Thorpe to call for action from selectors before it is too late.

"We're pretty much at the crossroads with this one-day side at the moment."

England's one-day performance has ended their long winter tour on a sour note after their Test victories in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Now Thorpe argues England selectors must address these problems now, well in advance of the World Cup in South Africa in 2003.

"The World Cup is coming up and we have a hell of a lot of work to do to get England's one-day side into a cohesive unit."

Sri Lankan role-models

Thorpe believes England need more one-day cricket experience, despite Lord's scheduling a 10-match triangular tournament every summer.

"We're probably not playing enough which shows up in our play. When the wheels come off with the bat, we don't have enough experience to dig ourselves out of it," he said.

"You have only to look at the amount of cricket Sri Lanka play and they are a much more mature side than we are.