Sri Lanka Asserts Its Potential on Eve of Finals by Rex Clementine Have Won Both Matches, but Cussedness and Not in the Role
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Thursday 9th February, 2006 11 Sri Lanka asserts its potential on eve of finals by Rex Clementine have won both matches, but cussedness and not in the role. ri Lanka qualifying for threw the opportunities larger interests of our game. Agents of evil the finals of the VB away after dominating much Without ruffling feathers any And it’s a shame that SSeries would have come of the games. Perth is sup- further with our comments, interested parties have cate- as quite a surprise for many, posed to be the toughest let’s hope he’ll continue to gorised his elevation to the for a week ago it looked as if place in the world for the Sri open in the finals, too. leadership role as some- the tourists were down and Lankans to play cricket, and It was also a wise decision thing that came his way out as rivals South Africa after a disappointing per- by the Interim Committee to after politicisation of events just needed one win in three formance against Australia send Jayasuriya as an addi- leading him to become vice- games to book a place in the in the first game in Perth, Sri tional player after he was captain of the team. Very lit- finals. After a disappointing Lanka bounced back with a omitted from the Australian tle the public know that series in New Zealand, where better display in the game tour after dislocating the these people who allege him Sri Lanka suffered a humili- against South Africa where shoulder. Jayasuriya has to have campaigned for the ating 4-1 defeat, not many Jayasuriya was again simply proved his worth with a cou- post, are the vey people who would have expected Marvan sensational making 86 in 65 ple of match winning act as agents for the player Atapattu’s side to be in con- balls with nine fours and knocks, and if Sri Lanka is to who was deposed of the tention for the best of three three sixes. But from 137 for beat Australia, he needs to vice-captain’s role. finals in Australia. one in 21 overs, Sri Lanka fire. And for those critics who collapsed in a sensational claimed that he was ageing Psychologicaly Obviously the hard and fashion for no rhyme or rea- and has lost touch, his bat damaging bouncy surfaces in Australia son and were bowled out for has spoken more eloquently Maybe the selectors suited the host nation and 221 in 47.4 overs. than a thousand words. shouldn’t have made Vaas South Africa more than the At that stage it looked as if This is yet another vice-captain while on mid- Sri Lankans. Moreover, the it was curtains for the Sri instance for prophets of tour. But isn’t it ethically fact that Graeme Smith’s Lankans, but Australia doom not to write off sea- right for the members of the side was coming into the thrashed the Proteas in the soned campaigners. team to rally behind him for ODIs after a three-match next two games in Russel Arnold the duration of the tour and Test series in Australia made Melbourne and Sydney and Russel Arnold, of course, not expose the chinks in our them favourites to book a then Sri Lanka’s win in has been a disappointment in armours to the opposition? place in the finals. Hobart was sufficient for the series having managed As a result of all this rep- But at the end of the them to get through to the only 158 runs in seven knocks rehensible fracas, Vaas group stage, both visiting finals with just one fifty. He’s been became a virtual loner in teams managed three wins Bandara’s bowling an extremely effective player the team, and obviously suf- each compared to Australia’s feats for the team over the years fering from the trauma six in eight outings. The ‘find’ for Sri Lanka with a ‘team before self ’ atti- inflicted that is affecting his Although both Sri Lanka and during the series was tude that did wonders for Sri bowling somewhat. He has South Africa had the equal Malinga Bandara, who Lanka. handed in his resignation number of wins, Sri Lanka bowled exceptionally well. Throughout the series it from the post on a couple of won two matches with bonus Used as the Super Sub by Sri has been evident that Sri occasions. The fact that his points and that allowed them Lanka on most occasions, Lanka has failed to acceler- form hasn’t been affected to secure a berth in the finals Bandara came into his own ate and Arnold’s failure is much by all these manipula- as South Africa had failed to bowling in tandem with one of the reasons for that. tions is indicative that the get any bonus points in their Murali and made his pres- Both Mahela Jaywardene man is made of sterner wins. ence felt.The spinners were, and Kumar Sangakkara, too, stuff. Sri Lanka, it must be Malinga Bandara – Sri Lanka’s new bowling ‘find’. Although Sri Lanka start- of course, largely responsi- have done well with the for- noted owes him a great deal. ed off the series with a heavy ble for Sri Lanka getting Chandana, who has a good age of 20:25. but there’s no point in trying mer vice-captain scoring 278 Collective defeat at the hands of through to the finals. While record in ODI cricket too, has to back their ‘picks’ with runs with four fifties and the responsibility Australia, they bounced back we expect Murali to pose been vindicated by Bandara, Chairman of Selectors wishy-washy comments. wicket-keeper batsman top- One would also question in the second game with a threats to opposition, who has become a potential- Lalith Kaluperuma’s think- Mubarak, of course, is a ping the aggregate for Sri the timing of coach Tom comfortable victory over Bandara was the surprise match winner for the Sri ing that Mubarak’s excellent nice bloke and oozes with tal- Lanka with 314 runs, with Moody’s comments that the South Africa where Kumar package in the Sri Lankan Lankans on a consistent fielding makes him an auto- ent and may go on to become three fifties. schedule for the VB Series Sangakkara and Super Sub bowling line-up and now has basis. matic choice in the side is a consistent performer for Chaminda Vaas was too tight for the Sri Malinga Bandara starred in the opposition recognising Jehan Mubarak, mean- actually laughable. Although Sri Lanka with exposure. Chaminda Vaas has Lankans. Surely it was a the victory. the youngster as an ominous while, seems to be fortunate Mubarak is a good fielder Opener’s slot bowled admirably and is tough schedule as Sri Lanka Then they trounced threat. in getting an extended run he’s nowhere near the Finally, in the Hobart turning into a left-handed had to play three games in a Australia in Sydney with a Another ‘find’ thrown up with the Sri Lankan side. Andrew Symonds or Ricky game, the Sri Lankan man- Glen McGrath with pinpoint week. But haven’t we been comprehensive win against on the tour for the Sri The tall left-hander has Ponting class, whose throw- agement decided to stick to a accuracy that makes run taught not to complain or the world champions with Lankans is Chamara struggled to find the gaps ins from a distance are spot- format that the entire coun- making extremely hard proffer excuses when we left-handed opener Sanath Kapugedara, who has done and rotate the strike to give on, hitting the stumps, try has been calling for. against him. lose? Jayasuriya tormenting his reasonably well in the limit- the initiative to senior part- invariably causing run-outs There’s no doubt that It’s obvious that he has If Moody was unhappy bunnies with a scintillating ed opportunities he has got ners. Even when he goes for at crucial moments and cut- Marvan Atapattu has to bat struggled with the vice-cap- with the scheduling, he hundred. The opener clob- so far. big hits, they come at a con- ting off 20-25 runs on the at the top of the order and tain’s role with the entire should have complained bered 114 in just 96 deliveries The selectors need to be siderable risk, as he hasn’t field. play the sheet anchor role for team not behind him. Even before the start of the series. and his knock set the stage commended in selecting the stature to clear the If the selectors think that Sri Lanka. But despite the when Atapattu is absent on When he begins complain- for another massive Sri Kapugedara, after a handful boundary cleanly. Mubarak younger players like continuous failures in our the field, it’s obvious that ing at a time when Sri Lanka Lankan win, this time by 51 of first class games, for the has taken part in all eight Mubarak, Kapugedara or opening batting combina- instead of Vaas, it is the oth- seems to be becoming a seri- runs. senior league. Their decision matches of the VB Series so Upul Tharanga need to be tions, the Sri Lankan captain ers who call the shots in al loser, it certainly seems to Then they proceeded to to persist with Bandara at far and has managed only a given an extended run to continues to bat in the mid- field placing and bowling be a case of wriggling out of Adelaide, where they should the expense of Upul measly 162 runs at an aver- prove their worth, that’s fine, dle order.