Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas

The only way Vaas could have been retained in the 15 was if Kulasekera was not available. Consider, we have an entire retinue of bowlers churning them right handed. Kulasekera, do not forget was the number one bowler in this format not so long ago. He deserves to be in the squad but has to now perform to his potential.
Many would debate the inclusion of Thilan Samaraweera. They would probably not know that he has made four half centuries batting in the middle for SSC in the four outings that he has played in the current domestic tourney. He may not be the best fielder in the park but has done enough over players like Jeewan, Kandamby and Chandimal. These players , though with promise have not done enough to dislodge Thilan.
Dilhara Fernando gets the nod because ‘lefties’ such as Mirando and the Welagedera have not bowled well enough to be noticed. Dilhara would have found it tough had they peaked. There was a time that both Malinga and Dilhara were not automatic choices because of inconsistency. Malinga is now the mainstay. This would allow Dilhara to go flat out and we saw him reach 150 kmph.  This would be a good combination.
Fine. The team held no surprises. Now it’s down to strategy and planning. It’s time Sanga and the management built a unit for cohesion. Horses for courses. The right mix for each game even at the risk of resting a senior/top player depending on the needs of the team for that particular game. Everyone in the 15 should be ready to step up and, importantly, step down depending on the need. That’s where Sanga should come in and keep them happy and focused on the bigger picture. Given the day someone other than the stars would be the bowler/batsman of the day, he has been a bit slack in this area.
When Suraj Randiv came through on the Indian tour most wrote off Murali. But a champion will always come through. Like batsmen bowlers too peak and then have dips. Suraj hasn’t done anything of significance in the recent domestic games. He will have to take responsibility for the bulk work when Murali leaves and should work hard, now.
All talk of India and Sri Lanka being hot favourites this time around. Do not write off England. We have preconceived notions about our wickets and also the fact that teams like England cannot handle spin. They have been playing well recently and also the wickets in this region are playing well now. Most matches are day-nighters and the ball is bound to seam. So, England are in the running and very much so.
Dilshan can be our star. We all remember Sanath in ’96. Starts are important and Dilshan should provide it. Samaraweera at no. 5 gives the stability and strength to the two above and below if he is at the centre. Mathews at 6 is a solid top half. If Kulasekera gives the start and Malinga comes in thereafter, it’s perfect. The World Cup comes once in four years and the players lucky enough should make the most of it. I recall Dav Whatmore saying in ’96, save some fuel for the next game. Consider, we were playing India in the semi’s and Dav was yet saying “save some fuel for the next one”. We were mentally preparing for the next one, in this case the final. Many a good player do not get a chance to play in a World Cup. Some favourite teams bow out early. That’s the beauty of a World Cup.
So, now what about Vaas and Sanath? Will they yet get a game against the Windies to say good bye?  What about the spectators? Tough one that.

Ricky Ponting

I remember touring the West Indies and the venue at Grenada was new but there too the organisers were not certain whether we could play there with the facilities not being ready. We had to play South Africa and the Windies at that venue. This kind of thing happens yet its also equal to both teams. In fact the Windies did get a heads up at these venues. The Sri Lankans will have only the Provincial Tourney to brush up now.
We did see that teams dominating over a long period do go through a downward curve at sometime. The Aussies are there now. We did also discuss last week that the bowling fire power required to get 20 wickets to win a Test holds the key. The state of the track apart from this is one area where the strength of a Test team lies. The Australians have had a long run at the helm and this has been so for nearly 20 years. Starting with Steve Waugh followed by Mark Taylor and of course the first four of Ponting have been with their nose well ahead.
Ricky Ponting was never outside the top 10 as a batsman unlike at this point in his career. He is too good a bat not to make big runs and I will be surprised if he does not get a big hundred or even more in the Ashes. It shows as I said that a captain is as good as his team. The Aussies need not panic as they are doing right now. It is evident from the chopping and changing of players more often than not.
A player from whom much is expected finds himself on the bench in the next game. Panic… yes it does seem so. There seems to be chaos within the dressing room. The mental attitude required to get back seems on the back burner. This is compounded by the fact that there’s a clamour to bring Warnie back! There’s talk that the bowlers are not doing their job. Confidence has to be restored into the dressing room and in double quick time. Aussies just need to get back to basics.
Of course the English side has good players and they know it judging from their body language. They are on top and will keep the pressure on the pedal. Take Cook as an example. Not much was heard from him outside the tour to India. Back to back hundreds is no flash in the pan. To do so on bouncy wickets is a sign of class. KP comes good with a double hundred and Strauss gets in with another century. Collingwood starts but is left bereft of a well deserved hundred. All this with the bowlers getting the twenty has made the English dressing room bristle with confidence. They talk of trust and confidence amongst players quite in contrast to the opponents.
Adelaide is known for big hundreds and doubles. KP will get his name etched on the steps of the pavilion. Qualifying requirement? A double hundred in a Test at this venue.

Sangakkara — among the best bats

Cricket has reached a level where it is more than a sport. It’s a way of life and a great profession to be in. Gifted with talent and skill is not the end all to persist at high level anymore. They are not even the yardstick to get into the national team. Less so to hold a place in the long term. I would say destiny would decide with a bit of luck for garnishing whether a player would get in to the national team. There is of course no gainsaying that talent and skill are required, but that alone is not quite sufficient. I know of a few players who had an abundance of talent but yet did not go beyond club level. Some not even beyond school level. They missed out due to various reasons.
There was a time that Sri Lanka did not play more than a few games in an year. So for example those who batted one to six were always available to play in every international. For the players knocking on the door to get in this was very frustrating. Many missed out by not getting a look in at the right time of their career. This is not so today with so much cricket being played.
Some were simply not willing to apply themselves though being gifted. I can recall one such player who was highly talented but never made the grade due to lack of discipline and application. Duminda Perera comes to mind and I have played along him to vouch for this. He was better than some who represented the country, nay two put together. Indiscipline and lack of attitude was cause enough for him to be just a club player. He was a fantastic bat whose skill was unmatched and a left arm slow to boot.
His skills and talent were never questioned though discipline and attitude were constantly a big question. He had an unfortunate incident in UK and there were others who breached discipline. One questions whether there should have been someone to have taken such talented though tardy kids under their charge to bring them in line. Sanjeewa Weerasinghe is another player who too was like a pop star with a single hit. Anura Ranasinghe is spoken of in similar fashion. I am certain these blokes would not let their sons do what they did.
I was fortunate to have played alongside Roshan Mahanama who was an ideal role model. He was disciplined, dedicated to the game, hard working and constantly trying to improve his skills. Look at how Aravinda worked on his game. Take Sanga, Mahela, Murali and Sanath as examples. Sanath works at it yet.
Once at the top one has to push boundaries. Parents do care for their kids making it to the top. There’s no harm going to specialised coaching schools etc. but one must never forget that there are the other aspects that will matter more at the end game than mere talent. With a place at the top comes recognition and adulation. The need to hold oneself together and be focussed on what has to be done coupled with hard work and discipline will bring rewards in the long term.

Gayle who was the chief tormentor at Galle

There must be self belief. That we were one bowler short to push the West Indian batting was very evident. With Sangakkara realising mid innings that part time trundler Dilshan was not going to be effective it became more evident that we were one bowler short. The best spinner available was not included. In that I mean the best with the record at Tests.
Rangana Herath should have been the extra spinner instead of one batsman. Doubting the batting strength would have led to this decision.
The wicket in itself was like that of a smooth highway and credit should go to Chris Gayle who made sure that the West Indies were spared a second innings. This put the Sri Lankans under pressure. We have heard curator Jayananda Warnaweera predicting that a game at Galle would finish in three days or four on previous occasions.
This time he kept mum. It was made for making runs and no side seemingly would have taken 20 wickets to force a decision. I am certain the captain and others in senior positions would have inspected the wicket well prior to the game. Life without Murali is now a reality. In that backdrop why Rangana Herath was left out of the final eleven is a mystery to me.
Lasith Malinga may play only in one dayers from here on. That’s reality too. If he is to extend his lifespan in the game at the top this decision is wise. Recall my earlier comment about different combinations for different formats of the game? If Malinga with his action is persisted in all three formats he is not going to last long. That’s reality too.
It’s a profession now and these are home truths. We used two fast bowlers who are known to use the older ball better than the new. That’s negative too. The only positive feature in the game for Sri Lanka was the improved batting from the lower order and of course wicket keeper Jayawardena. Needlessly we have placed ourselves under pressure and so close to the World Cup.
I have been asked the question whether we really won in Australia. This was obviously after our dismal showing at the Test. The question was backed up with the argument that the first game was won by the bowlers and the second due to the Duckworth Lewis formula.
I tend to disagree with that argument but the question did beg a plausible answer. Take the two remaining Tests. We do not know how those wickets would play. Test cricket has not been played at Khettarama for a long time and the wicket is a fresh one. Pallekelle is brand new. As I said earlier we should have had the best combination at our stronghold though allowance need to be made for the toss.
Consider here that the West Indians are way down in the rankings and we were playing at home. Of course on our wickets we need to depend on our spinners and naturally played our wicket taking bowler. Randiv is comparatively new and Mendis seems to have been worked out.
I am a firm believer in using new technology if it is available. The game is as I said far from a whack in the park and the referral system is a good thing provided it is applied consistently. There are rankings in place now and teams up the order will command a price. It’s as I said a profession now.
If the referral system is used in some countries and not in others it would be disproportionate when it comes to equality of assessment when ranking is done. It’s not only relying on technology that matters. Players need to know how to follow the application.
Take the incident when Chris Gayle benefitted from the use of this system. It was the non striker who pointed out that the particular ball which had Gayle caught was in fact a no ball. There will come a time when the dressing room will instruct when to use the referral system. I agree that the time limit given for such is one in the right spirit and direction.

Mathews and Murali celebrate after the win at MCG

This kind of finish lifts this version of the game to new heights. 107 for eight and that too around the 25th would have been the point that Sri Lankan fans under normal circumstances would reach for the remote to switch off. Some may have, but those who did not were in for a treat.
There are two ways of looking at this game. Most teams at 107 for eight would not make it to a win. That Malinga batted with such authority was such a boost to the batting side. Mathews excelled and the finish was a delight for the Sri Lankans. On the other hand, there were lessons to be learnt for the top order. If the dismal start did occur at a semi final or a final of an important tournament, it would have had different connotations for the players in the middle as far as pressure was concerned. We have been talking of the contributions from the top and the middle order ad nauseum. The management needs to take stock now that we are at the threshold of the World Cup.
The bowling was top order. It was a fitting farewell by Murali to his Aussie fans. The Sri Lankan supporters outnumbered the Australians. Murali did not disappoint them. The brand of cricket dished out by the Sri Lankans endeared them to all cricket lovers. The Sydney game was a good one for the Sri Lankans. The continued form of the tourists showed that they played a brand of cricket that was expected from an Aussie team of yore.
Upul Tharanga made runs and also to my mind cemented his place as the partner for Dilshan at the next World Cup. People must have had doubts of his form and ability, but with this innings he has shown that this should be the combination to go forward. Sydney was the ideal venue to wrap up the series. The conditions were akin to a local venue.
In 2004, on a tour Down Under, we were on top with the Aussies reeling three down for less than 20. We had won at Adelaide and were on a roll. A catch was disallowed and Ponting made a 100 together with Symonds chipping in with another. They made over 300 and the game was lost. We did not bowl in the right areas then, in contrast with this Sri Lankan attack.
To win in Australia is great. This Australian team is going through a bad patch. They have lost touch with winning. When this happens, the Australians who were considered invincible are not different to any other team. The third ODI resulted in a poor showing by the Sri Lankans. It happens with our team and has been so on more than one occasion. One gets into a high when a series is in the bag and the confidence that is carried forward can lead to caution being thrown to the wind.
Batsmen like Sanga and Mahela would revel when there is bounce. No team should take things for granted even though a series has lost its competition. It was a poor show to get 115. The grey areas of this game has to be looked at. The World Cup would be a gruelling affair and there must be no let up.
The West Indies are in Sri Lanka and the locals will go out as favourites. With a bank of spinners, the Sri Lankans have the edge. We have reached the number two spot in ODI rankings and now should improve our ratings in tests too. Playing the West Indians who would be tentative against spin and having the luxury of Murali, Randiv, Ajantha and Rangana should boost our confidence especially playing on local wickets conducive to spin.
As I have said earlier, the top order and the middle must get those runs on the board. No bat is considered good enough unless he scores at least a 50 every third innings. Getting a hundred and then not getting much in the next five to ten is not good enough for the team. We have now turned the corner and the World Cup is in sight. It’s time to push the pedal down and accelerate.

Premadasa Stadium

Take the examples of Pallekelle and Sooriyawewa. The schools around should be allowed to use these grounds. There are a multitude of benefits to be achieved. More young players will have access to better facilities and therefore will have an opportunity of going further. Coaching should also be diversified to encompass the additional infrastructure.
I am a firm believer that the regional coach should be more accountable to Sri Lanka Cricket. It is a simple formula that needs to be followed. Just analyse and record how many talented young cricketers come from these stables. There is no other yard stick to check the effectiveness of a regional coach. Regional Offices should be maintained for permanence . Effective controls and reporting systems should be in place.
Yet, there should be budgets within Sri Lanka Cricket to continually maintain these venues. Do we have such for Uyanwatta in Matara, Welagedara in Kurunegala, or Dambulla ? There is no requirement to fret as to who built which stadium. I do not believe that should matter at all. These facilities have to be taken care of. If a  facility is in place, the young lads need to be given the use of it. Good facilities produces good players.
I recall watching a programme on NDTV where former Indian national players were discussing methods of improving the standard of cricket in the sub continent. Imran Khan too was in the panel. The Indians were promoting high performance centres and other technical improvements. “Give us more space for kids to play this game” was Imran’s contribution. How true. As many as 50 mini matches would be played simultaneously on a ground in India. I have seen this in Sri Lanka too.
Many would recall the 200 or so concrete wickets that were laid across the country by Sri Lanka Cricket a few years ago. How many are in operation now? I would sincerely hope that lessons were learnt from this exercise. It is most important that infrastructure once in place be sustained.
Check any ground of profile in India, South Africa, England or Australia. They all have lights for day night games. Of course they are all of good quality. We have two venues with lights and there too only Khettarama matches up. Why not have lights at the SSC and the Sara Stadium? Sri Lanka Cricket should consider that as a priority.
Our school cricket of yore was admired by most cricketing nations. We discussed the quality of coaches around that era in this column on an earlier occasion. They were respected and admired. Today we witness a host of young coaches which necessarily is not a bad thing. They do however have to command respect. There should be no favoritism nor fraternising with parents which is happening now. This gives the perception that they could be partial. The tournament structure is back in the right direction. If adjustments need be made they have to be minor and in the right direction. It’s a fine line and  that has to be understood.
Tiger Woods did make some adjustments to his game and till he perfected that he was on a losing streak. Once he mastered the new technique he soared ahead. The need to be on top of your game is paramount and to be there you need to constantly try something new and maintain the gap beyond the herd. There are no short cuts to the top. Be it in administration or in playing the game.

Shane Warne was a master of the art

If the modern game is all about bat and ball particularly with the type of wickets that are prepared bowlers will find it near impossible to get a side out twice. You do find often that a fourth innings has not even commenced on the fifth day of a Test match. We do talk of the physical, mental and the right attitude of top players. The ability to handle sledging too has to be included in a players repetoire. Ok so here’s it. I am all for a player having a word or two on the field. Yes. But within limits. It’s all part of the mind game now. Some would have a crack at an incoming batsman on his recent dismal form to get into his mind. They may even refer to his inability in handling a particular type of bowling or bowler. This to me is within limits. Going over the top, which does happen at times, should however not be tolerated. Players know who can take it and those who cannnot. More on that score later.
I recall a game against India at the Khettarama Stadium when India were chasing 220 runs to win against us. They were placed precariously when Harbajhan, “Bhajji” came into bat in short sleeves. Sanga in his inimitable fashion said “you look smart in short sleeves”. Bhajji had bowled in long sleeves and was soon to take offence. He stomped off to Ump David Shepperd and complained that Sanga had called him a chucker. That was a smart bit of verbal and to me it was within limits.
On the other hand Aravinda was one player who was not subjected to sledging. Opponents knew that Ara took it as a challenge and was more determined to score. So was Arjuna. It’s a mind game and the two sides of the coin to sledging or not depends on who the player is. Recall when Ian Healy asked Shane Warne to throw a Mars bar in front of Arjuna? He scored.
Again a seemingly innocous action that may not even be noticed by the spectators would be offensive to those at the receiving end. It was during a game at Centurian Park in South Africa when Mahela made big runs. Shaun Pollock stroked Mahela’s helmet as if to say “young man you got runs against us”. I felt that this was way over the top. Then again during a game against England Nassar Hussain cast a remark at Murali when he came into bat which made Murali complain to the umpire but nothing could be done as no one else heard what was said. One could clearly guess but such complaints do not go further.
I would not like to see a repetition of such incidents of the likes of the Sarvan /Mc Grath or Harbajan / Symonds ever happening on a cricket field. Both those should be a thing of the past. Way out of line.
A batsman does switch off between balls so that he can concentrate better when he takes his stance next. The Aussies have perfected a way around this to limit the time a batsman has of switching off. Say the ball is played to cover and there is no possibility of a run. That would give an opportunity to the batsman to switch off. An Aussie fielder would throw the ball back to the keeper to keep the level of alertness thereby shortening the time span for switching off between balls. And of course the spectators too does get in on the act in Australia.
The Indians do chatter incessantly on the field in their language. I was at the non striker’s end and I did ask Venkat who was umpiring why only Sachin was silent? Venkat was quick to reply, “Does he need to talk?”
With time one gets to know which players are to be targetted and those who need to be left alone. Our culture does not permit us to go over the top nor to initiate sledging. This I say in general. There was certainly a time when our players were considered timid. It is no longer so. If The Sri Lankans are at the receiving end of sledging and the need arises to get back at the opponents in like fashion or even in a smarter manner they are quite up to the task. As long as its within limits… yes i am for it.