14 Monday 21st December, 2009

The Chesterfield Files While ICC turns up the heat on banning and fines for bad behaviour... More questions about Lankan fielding standards

In 1994, Shane Warne was hit with a far harsher fine for a similar offense for the way he reacted when he dismissed Andrew Hudson in the second South African innings of the Wanderers Test. The Australian Cricket Board (now Cricket Australia) was not at all impressed with the ugly Australian image that callow episode illustrated to television audiences. You see and hear enough of that sort of adolescent behaviour from politicians whose promises are as genuine as a Tiger Woods/Hansie Cronje/Marion Jones apology. They had to make their admis- sion of guilt because they were caught out in their lies. Now, as the International Cricket by Trevor Chesterfield Council starts applying tougher meas- hese days, it is all about the singer ures than mere wrist-slapping fines over and not the song. And words used offensive on-field gestures, maybe Sri There to describe the immature and Lanka should do something similar when Watson threw his verbal toys at the departing Gayle, who walked off with the dignity Man of the Match and Man of the Series, petulant behaviour on the field by some it comes to their farcical fielding efforts. you would expect, but no doubt wondering what type of character Watson is to West Indies skipper Chris Gayle. players who should know better, is dis- Much has been written (including one behave as some child denied a bite of his favourite lollypop. turbing. appallingly cliché riddled feature in a barefaced cheek is how he is responsible After all, ‘Yahaluweni’, it is cricket Sunday paper which displays the intelli- for the fielding expertise; especially with that is being played and the laws of the gence of an amoeba), about the first two played in a great spirit and being fol- sense and reminding him that first he Mendis at cover at a crucial stage of the game are specific enough. But these days limited overs internationals being played lowed by millions around the world on was representing his country and second innings in Mohali. some are descending to the crude and across the straits. television. being watched by thousands on televi- Sangakkara told a pre-Rajkot media cretinous behavioural levels expected of As it is, the explosive third Test of the “The decision to find Benn guilty of a sion and it is not the image he should be conference that Sri Lanka had a “few rugby and soccer thugs and their mal- West Indies tour of Australia in Perth Level 2 offence is indicative of conduct presenting. surprises in store for India.” This ques- functioning, yobbish foul-mouth adminis- resulted in players being banned that is contrary to the spirit of the game It is why banning players would at tioned certain logic of whether the sur- trators and players. (Sulieman Benn) and two being fined and is completely unacceptable. I hope least help curb the soccer type behaviour prises included being generous to the Along of course with ‘bada’ politi- (Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson) and Mr. Benn has learnt his lesson and will where referees are assailed by those little hosts by spilling chances and leaking cians who are now making a habit of in India Kumar Sangakkara (fined) and be careful in the future.” better than ‘Mafioso’ thugs and do not runs as though it was a giant sieve that adopting the Tiger Woods infidelity Mahendra Singh Dhoni (banned). deserve the term sportsmen. was in place on the field. The whole Sri approach as they practice preening them- In the case of the first Perth incident, It was not Benn... Last Friday night, however, Dhoni, Lanka coaching system and strategy still selves for the television cameras. It there was enough TV replays to have The incident took place in the 118th applied the Sourav Ganguly tactics has a serious amateur look. over of the Australian first innings and where he stretched the game well into But then, Sri Lanka, having won the close observation of the incident is overtime and should have realised he toss and asking India to bat at Rajkot, enough to tell you that Benn didn’t initi- would be banned. How close Sangakkara knew that if, at such a small venue, ate the initial contact. This though is not came to a similar fate over his T20 inter- Virender Sehwag cut loose along with the point. Cricket is about a variety of national dalliance is another matter. It is Sachin Tendulkar, runs would flow. The playing skills and above all discipline all very well, as did Dhoni blaming his tourists didn’t help their cause by drop- and there was none on display. Benn had bowlers for the defeat in Mohali. ping Viru early on and their bowlers gen- every right to field the ball the way he But if your fieldsmen are going to erally were appearing to be no better did, but in doing so there was contact perform worse than your Sunday social than occasional net options, instead of with Johnson and Haddin became league player, rather look at the cause of those with fancy international creden- involved. It became like a motor vehicle the problem. Good fielding skills come tials. collision at a traffic light, with one blam- from practice, attention to details and Sri Lanka in part lost their way in the ing the other for jumping the light, but bowling from knowing the right areas closing stages, especially the poor run- no one was prepared top accept culpabili- where to put the ball. India have neither ning between wickets judgement by ty. a fielding or bowling coach these days. Thilan Kandamby and the Angelo The Watson ‘moment’, however, was As for Sri Lanka, their fielding efforts Mathews effort of buckling under pres- so totally different. Chris Gayle was in this second game was marginally better, sure by hitting the ball in the air instead his second innings ‘a la Adelaide mode’, but whoever is the lame brain who had of steady handwork forcing it on the showing restraint and discipline as he Ajantha Mendis, one of the worst fields- ground. was trying to steer West Indies to what men in the side, in the covers should be The latter stage of the innings was as would have been a series sharing victory fined for an act of crass stupidity! pathetic as their bowling and fielding, and in a sense poking the bat at his crit- He really looked out of his depth and but they won’t be asking questions in ics and saying “Hey, Mon, see dat? Donna trying to hide him on the field is increas- Maitland Place, Colombo, it will be all write us off, Mon.’ ingly becoming an embarrassment. Such about, “oh, how close we were.” Not good If his first innings at Perth was a bril- views are not going to be too popular, but enough; not professional enough. liant explosion of batting skills, grace these are questions that need to be asked. A week ago, Sri Lanka Cricket held a and power, his dismissal in the second If you analyse the Rajkot game, India window dressing exercise with the ICC brought out the ‘child in the cot’ syn- scraped home by holding their proverbial and a check of CWC011 facilities, such as drome with Watson, throwing his verbal nerve, but critics should be pounding on that at Hambantota, a venue that is in toys at the departing Gayle, who walked the administrative doors of Sri Lanka the process of being built. There was a off with the dignity you would expect, Cricket as well as the BCCI after yet lot of talk about ‘pitch’ conditions – as no but no doubt wondering what type of another chaotic fielding performances. game has yet been played, it is hard to character Watson is to behave as some The problem is, too many have been justify any comment how pitches can be Mendis in the covers in the second game explains why there has been poor pre-match child who has been denied a bite of his seduced by the high-scoring game to playable, and as there is also no seating strategy. favourite lollypop. overlook the flaws and that the fielding plan available, it poses the question of shows you as well what shallow miscre- banned the trio, instead of one player Sure, the umpires stepped in with basics were non-existent. Placing Mendis how the tickets for the two games will be ant types are some writers in the United and fines for the other two. caution. This is where the game misses in the covers in the second game explains sold. States (and elsewhere), who voted Woods As match referee Chris Broad said in men such as David Shepherd. He would why there has been poor pre-match strat- But this is the kind of jingoism that as the Sportstar of the Decade. explaining his decision, “It was an inci- have swiftly put an end to the Benn egy. the public are being fed and largely buy- Frankly, Australian all-rounder Shane dent which could have been avoided. No episode with Haddin and Johnson and You also see seated among the coterie ing at present and the security, unless Watson can consider himself lucky he one likes to see cricketers pointing bats would have dealt with Watson the same of Sri Lanka’s shadow coaches and pre- there is a major change in attitude wasn’t slapped with a match ban as well at their opponents or pushing each other way he did with Warne at the Wanderers tenders, one who goes by the misnomer, regarding spectator access to venues, it as losing 75 percent of his match fee. All away. It is not the sort of example that (and for that matter, Waqar Younis in a fielding coach. His name is Manoj could be a disaster in the making. he was given by Chris Broad was a 15 players should be setting at any time, World Cup game at the same venue in the Abeywickrama and it asks the question percent fine of his match fee. least of all in a series which is being CWC03), with a firm display of common of what he is doing on tour and the (email: [email protected])

by Ravi Nagahawatte ties presented to the players by themselves with outdoor sports. institutes like the Sri Lanka Air The International Table Tennis Sri Lanka’s table tennis is Force (SLAF) and Sri Lanka Navy Year end review Federation (ITTF), has suggested making notable progress which has (SL Navy), Perera said that it was that ladies start wearing garments come in the form of the players heartening to see institutes of such which expose their beauty.The being employed by the defense serv- calibre wanting to recruit table ten- ITTF states that this would auto- ices. nis players. Players like Rohan SL shuttlers finally matically attract spectators in their Officials in the table tennis Sirisena, Ishara Madurangi, numbers, like at tennis,” he said. scene believe this will auger well Buddhika Walagampola (All SLAF), However, Perera, added that though for the future, because the players along with GPH Sajith this suggestion would work in other can now think of training full time. Priyadharshana and Dinesh get big break countries, it was hard to put into Deshappriya (Both SL Navy), are Table tennis is a popular sport practice in Sri Lanka. He however the players who have been recruit- and pastime in this country and Looking back at the achieve- tice, late in the night. This is the said efforts would be doubled in the ed by the defense services. many opine that the Table Tennis ments during 2009, he said that the passion for badminton in future to mount an awareness cam- Perera added that the TTASL Association of Sri Lanka (TTASL), authorities had conducted many Ambalangoda and no wonder this paign for table tennis in the coun- should capitalize on this develop- harboured great hopes that the tournaments locally and the players town produces champions,” he said. players would make best use of try. ment and take the game to greater also had the opportunity of contest- Despite the positives, such as He said that the TTASL had heights. working for such institutes and ing the Asian Senior and Asian player commitment and having been successful in sending three TTASL General Secretary train hard for the upcoming South Junior Championships. “The play- enough tournaments for the players players abroad on scholarships. Chandana Perera told ‘The Island’ Asian Games ( SA Games) which ers had enough tournaments to to excel, he didn’t hold back when “Fifteen-year-old Hasitha that the country lacked experienced will be held in Bangladesh, in play in and the association main- talking about the negatives which Shashiranga, Chathura Viskam players and was in the process of January 2010. tains a ranking system which rates he believes have plagued the sport. and Tharindra Weerakoon were building a team for the future. “Two According to Perera, the TTASL the best 12 players in the men’s and “Some officials who promised to of our promising players, Thilina has spoken to the players and set women’s categories,” said Perera. support me and got elected to the sent abroad for training. Present Piyadasa (Male) and Kalpani them goals for the upcoming SA He showered praise on the play- TTASL executive committee, don’t national champion Ishara KST Chalitha Ranjana is one of Herath (Female) have left the coun- Games. “We have told them to first ers from Ambalangoda and said contribute much. As a result, there Madurangi too was presented with the top players Ambalangoda try to pursue higher studies. focus on winning gold medals, but that this town had contributed is a whole load of work that I need the opportunity to go abroad for has produced. He is the current Veteran Deepkika Rodrigo (Female) there will be huge competition from immensely towards the growth of to perform on my own,” he said. training, but she couldn’t complete National champion. has called it quits, to take up coach- India. In the 2006 edition of the SA table tennis in the country. He said that he was also not her full stay abroad, because she (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi) ing. So, we are looking to the pres- Games, Sri Lanka won three silver “Once I was in Ambalangoda very pleased about the monies that turned overage. These scholarships medals and six bronze medals and tries like Norway and Sweden. ent juniors and senior players to for a seminar and when returning have come the TTASL’s way as are for those under 19,” he our second target, if the first one Perera is happy about the table make the best use of the training to my room around 10.00 pm, I was sponsorships. “Table tennis is an explained. The ITTF, through these fails, is to at least maintain the per- tennis achievements this year and and facilities given to them to deliv- amazed to see some players taking indoor sport and it is a known fact sponsorships, arranged opportuni- formance recorded at the last said he had high hopes of Sri er the goods,” said Perera. their racquets and going for prac- that sponsors prefer to associate ties for the players to train in coun- Speaking about the opportuni- games,” he said. Lanka doing well at the SA Games.