COLOMBO, Aug 11: The Sri Lankans are contemplating inviting the great Bishen Singh Bedi or Dilip Doshi to unearth and groom quality left-arm spinners to help them realise their goals on the international cricket arena.

The idea is the brain child of the wily Arjuna Ranatunga, who is a qualified coach himself. The Sri Lankan captain now proposes to put the issue before the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) to set the ball rolling.

Ranatunga told The Indian Express that the idea was to get the former spinners to come to Sri Lanka so that a large amount of talent could benefit from their expertise and experience.

Sri Lanka has a goal of becoming the best Test team in the world by the year 2000. They have the quality and the depth in batting and possess at least one world-class fast bowler in Chaminda Vaas and a potent offie in Muttiah Muralitharan. ``What we lack most,'' as manager Duleep Mendis opined, ``is one good left-arm spinner and a leggie. It's absolutely essential that we get the two if we have to reach our objective by 2000.''

Ranatunga, who has a big say on issues related to playing while dealing with the BCCSL, said he has not really given serious thought on who should be the best option to coach leg-spinners.

But the BCCSL are not sleeping over the matter. Two leg-spinners have been identified as bright prospects and were recently sent to Australia for a three-week intensive training under Rodney Marsh at the Australian Cricket Academy, which has given Australia players by the conveyer belt method.

Salia Ahangama, a former Test player and now a national selector, told this writer that the two leggies are extremely promising. ``Nimesh Perera is just 19-years-old, while Bhatiya Perera is a year older. Bhatiya took about 70 wickets in 15 club matches. We are going to play him in the one-day game between Board President's XI and India after the second Test.''

India, over the years, have done much for helping the cause of Sri Lankan cricket.

They were generous in playing unofficial Tests, did their bit by playing MJ Gopalan Trophy (Ceylon vs Madras, now Chennai), supported their bid to get Test status and honed the skills of their fast bowlers like Vaas, Ravindra Pushpakumara, Sajeewa de Silva, Dulip Liyanage and Pramodaya Wickremasinghe in the MRF Pace Academy at Chennai.

India were like a benevolent big brother towards Sri Lanka. Of course, the younger brother has shown more dedication, determination and discipline to overshadow the elder brother.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.