Mulling the Dambulla Asia Cup Final Fiasco
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Monday 28th June, 2010 13 of the Kiwis. What is need- The Chesterfield Files As tourists warn of a rip-off for their World Cup accommodation, ed is how he should become more patient as a batsman. national selectors are ... Lastly, if Sri Lanka hope to stage a successful World Cup next year, the need is for a better public relations image and the way senior police handling the public Mulling the Dambulla and media at the entrance to the venues. There was a shocking display of arro- gance at the front gate entrance to Rangiri Stadium and reminded me of how Asia Cup final fiasco South African police behaved in the bad days of price quoted through a trav- el agent was US$32 a night; BY TREVOR when they discovered the CHESTERFIELD booking was for the World Cup, the daily fare hiked an ccusations and cor- additional US$358. ruption charges is a It would be interesting to Afamiliar enough know who is going to pay theme. These days, for the floating hotel in Yahaluweni, they are also Hambantota harbour. My flying faster than the num- Pakistan pal says that he ber of goals being scored in was told about the luxury a tiresome popcorn event liner story from an official South Africa. with the Sri Lanka team That is not surprising during the ICC World T20 either. Apart from tourists event in the Caribbean. It complaining how they are was the same type of accom- being ripped off – and that modation used by travel is nothing new – the big agents in the Caribbean dur- nobs running South Africa’s ing the CWC07 event when most corrupt sport and grin- it was found that some ning inanely as they behave hotels were charging as Dilshan . Injudicious premeditated strokeplay led to his early departure with obeisance style grati- much as US$500 night. tude over the “Schlep South Africa hosted the before they had finished clever bowling, it was also steps needed to Blather” show, are now second edition of the Indian their sleep, was tired, slug- poor batting and exposed climb to the involved in a wrangle of a Premier League Champions gish and lazy. the foibles of a weak mid- media box at different kind. League in familiar cities, Lazy too were the dle-order. And if the selec- Sinhalese Sports It is not all backslapping Centurion, Johannesburg, strokes played in Dambulla tors are serious about the Club – one day either. A verbal war has Durban and Port Elizabeth. at the Asia Cup final last current middle-order, they someone is been raging for months over One major city that is going Thursday. On Tuesday need to examine how bats- going to die of a Kandamby . how not to lose your wicket - runout of a no ball shocked experts and critics the money being made to miss out in the tourna- night, it was carnival time. men such as Thilan cardiac arrest through the sale of hospital- ment is Cape Town, and They were singing and Kandamby and Chamara trying to per- sons why Daniel Vettori and ity suites at the various sta- apartheid. It is not the none of the soccer venues dancing in the Rangiri spent slightly longer than form his or her duties - over Brendan McCullum are not diums soon to become white image Sri Lanka needs. built for the Fifa event will Stadium isles. India were fifteen overs eking out a a matter of five days. available. It will give Ross elephants in a nation still be used, this is despite an being crushed and given a partnership at a little over How many changes will Taylor a chance to establish (email: lbwbam- grappling with serious appeal by city officials to good hiding. 3.5 runs an over. In a World be made to the squad for the himself as a future captain [email protected]) poverty. Soccer is the most have the games played at Two nights later, come Cup situation, the captain, triangular series in corrupt sport in South such venues. the Asia Cup final the coach and convener of selec- August depends largely Africa and run by a mafia Asked about pitch prepa- singing and dancing was tors are going to need a lot on who the selectors that controls the stadiums. rations, the clowns running stopped midstride by the more positive batting than feel they need to fill Danny Jordaan and soccer were scratching their end of the fifteenth over. this. certain roles. This is Edwin Khoza have never heads. They forgot that Not only chasing down a Making it more laugh- after consultations been the best of mates, but small technical point. Now target of 269 to retain the able is how Kandamby was with the captain and with millions involved, they those in Durban are examin- trophy was proving to be a run out off a no-ball! What coaches. >From the know how wealthy they will ing how New Zealand and lot more difficult than do they actually teach these way it is shaping become once the tawdry Fifa Australia prepare and drop expected. The top-order was guys at school? This is Kandamby and World Cup show ends. in pitches at the multi swept away with some where the initial coaching Kapugedara are the The point is, there are sports venues that cricket explosive and clever bowl- styles techniques and think- favoured duo to make three stadiums being built and thugby share. ing as India stared down ing process takes place. You the squad. Does this in Sri Lanka to host the Consultant groundsman their island rivals. cannot blame coaches mean they are in the games for the International at Centurion, Hilbert Smit, By the end of the Trevor Bayliss or Stuart mix as well for the Cricket Council’s showpiece has long been an advocate of evening, they were 81 runs Law for something as funda- Australia series, the next year. Now comes the the system of drop in pitch- short and frankly, never mental as the way one foreign engage- knotty question. Who es in South Africa and has looked as though they were Kandamby sold himself a ment Sri Lanka have among those now running long experimented with going to score the 269 need- dummy. They Aussie duo before the World Cup? that government appointed, such development. One of ed to win a game they had would have expected players Word from non-elected coterie known the problems in the coun- all but swaggered into, a tad at this level to know some of Australia is how the as the interim committee of try’s elevated Highveld overconfident, although no the finer points of game- Prince of Wales prod- Sri Lanka Cricket, will be region’s climatic conditions: one would admit it before plans and tactics. uct and stylish young looking to making more there is no grass growth the game. Certainly not the Former South African batsman Lahiru than daily pocket money out between February and coaching staff; to them, Sri batsman Daryll Cullinan, in Thirimanne has shown of the event. November. It means that for Lanka had the wherewithal Sri Lanka as part of the how he has quickly As the stadiums at the IPL played and and smoking guns to ham- commentary team for the adapted to the condi- Hambantota, Pallekelle and Champions Trophy played mer India into submission Asia Cup, was amazed at tions on this northern Premadasa are being built last year in South Africa to claim the third title. how Kandamby committed tour. Whether, as with and owned by SLC, there and this year’s Champions The loss of five top-order such a gaffe. Then again, Dinesh Chandimal, he will be a lot of rake off League games, the wickets, with Tillakaratne weren’t we all. is in the selectors when the games are played Johannesburg and Dilshan falling for a duck There will be a lot of thinking depends large- beyond CWC11. And in Centurion venues will have second ball of the innings thought given by Aravinda ly whether they want to Hambantota, as there is no a hothouse arrangement with an injudicious de Silva’s selection panel to trial their inexperience five star hotel, they are plan- installed over the squares to telegraphed premeditated the next ODI tournament, at senior ODI level. ning to have a luxury liner be used. pull that went seriously also to be held in Dambulla. South Africa A are docked in the harbour to As was noticed last year, wrong to top-edging a catch, With Premadasa Stadium due here in August, but house players, officials and when Sri Lanka played at set the pattern of the shod- under reconstruction, it is they are now minus other hangers on. The Wanderers, where part dy dismissals that followed. the only international venue Wayne Parnell, still An old Pakistan col- of the square was relaid (it It silenced the crowd expect- available to hold day/night recovering from his league from our days in was planned long before the ing an explosive start. games, despite its poor qual- injury and the series London, Imtiaz Iqbal, now event was transferred from Disaster for Sri Lanka but ity of lights. No matter how with the tourists will living in Florida, emailed Pakistan who were to have an impressive start for India the ad-hoc coterie of the give the selectors a me with a complaint of how hosted it), it was not that and Zaheer Khan and SLC attempts to defend the chance to see what the it is cheaper to book into a kind to some batsmen with Praveen Kumar were in the lighting system, it is not up Sri Lanka A touring Colombo hotel and cover dodgy two-paced bounce and early hunt for wickets to international standard.