14 Twenty-20 World Cup and Sanath

14 Monday 24th May, 2010 Jettisoning players, pulling togeth- The Chesterfield Files er smart planning, behaving with Selectors in wonderland show they have hidden agendas ... on-field panache, discipline and professionalism. They showed a lot of pride in the Caribbean event as Flower, not hidebound by straight- jacket style coaching and thinking, delved into other areas of the game and found the players he wanted to deliver a trophy. More riddles than answers “Don’t get carried away by the success though” is the former so clearly in the past by Sidath Zimbabwean’s euphemistic warn- Wettimuny (1999) and Lalith Kaluperuma (1975), it is hard to BY TREVOR CHESTERFIELD find as the answer to the riddle sought by the Mad Hatter. When interviewed regarding how they saw Sri Lanka’s future, The Hatter opened Wettimuny was trying to piece his eyes very wide on together a transparent policy hearing this; but all he with men who were proud to be part of that panel and in the said was, “Why is a aftermath of the disastrous 1999 raven like a writing- World Cup. The second was in line of a desk?” policy of change and how the for- “Come, we shall mer Bloomfield all-rounder saw the changes; one was the easing have some fun now!” Sanath Jayasuriya out of the Test thought Alice. “I’m team and aiming for a senior and Teams squads and upliftment of glad they’ve begun ask- the Under19 side for the Youth ing riddles. — I believe World Cup. You were left in no I can guess that,” she doubt how he saw the teams shaping. His one concern was to added aloud. develop the pool of talent and “Do you mean that creating quality players as replacements. you think you can find None of these thoughts out the answer to it?” appear to exist with the current establishment. It is known that said the March Hare. De Mel is a fair man when it “Exactly so,” said comes to selection policy, but he Alice. is one of four and trying to justi- fy the foibles of his co-members “Then you should to a questioning and critical say what you mean,” media is far from easy. It is why their so-called policy statement the March Hare went issued is a sham. on. Four names that come to mind are either missing or mis- “I do,” Alice hastily placed. Not that De Mel’s coterie replied; “at least—at of cronies will explain their reasons as they don’t like being held least I mean what I up to ridicule. Yet, maybe they say—that’s the same can explain why first, leg-spinner Farveez Maharoof and Malinga Bandara: victims of a selection ‘firing squad’ thing, you know.” Malinga Bandara has not made any of the sides and what is their squad for Australia, or even the pitches that prevail in that land- won, which some have already ing. He has reason as well, to cau- “Not the same thing policy regarding this talented limited-overs squad for locked central African nation forgotten, so smitten are they by tion against such jingoism you get player. The same could be asked Zimbabwe? these days? the inarticulate and technique a bit!” said the Hatter. when a team not only does particu- about Farveez Maharoof, who it Maharoof ’s batting average in The selectors will thumbsuck dysfunctional T20, Kandamby’s “You might just as well larly well, but also does so to a dif- seems is serving some kind of the provincial limited-overs the story that they are still look- three innings produced 27 runs at ferent, vibrant tune. Winners are say that ‘I see what I inexcusable penance as there is series also needs to be consid- ing at options, as there is the an average of 9.00. This gives him always expected to perform as they no justification for his continued ered. In five innings, he managed Asia Cup to be played in a 135 runs in eight innings, and eat’ is the same thing did when winning the trinket they exclusion from the senior squad. 168 runs at 42.00 and two half-cen- month’s time, which it is under- boosted with two not outs an have paraded with such enjoy- as ‘I eat what I see’!” Whispers from the side now tury innings; this is better than stood is from where the squad for average of 27 – hardly what you ment. in Miami is that Kumar young Dinesh Chandimal with 72 the World Cup is to be built would call international winning (Chapter 7: Alice In Sri Lanka though are on a dif- Sangakkara wanted the lanky all runs at 14.40 in five innings. It around. With the Australian A form is it. ferent path. What should be point- Wonderland) rounder to be flown as a replace- seems that Chandimal is going Team sojourns following the It explains a policy and a phi- ed out here, and which the public ment. The selectors, sans De Mel, though as the side also needs an short Zimbabwe tour, the selec- losophy which England have need to be made aware, are the erhaps not quite the pream- baulked at the needs of the cap- extra wicketkeeper, unless Upul tors are going to be wondering decided to dump and go with a number of limited-overs interna- ble to the opening lines of tain. But time zones from the Tharanga is to perform those what depth is the provincial sys- new brand that was unveiled at tionals Sri Lanka have, starting Pthe conversation among Sri scene of action, their campaign duties in Zimbabwe as well as tem in Sri Lanka in producing the ICC World T20in the West with the Zimbabwe tour until the Lanka’s selectors last week when has been metaphorically to place Australia. the talent needed to win major Indies. The driving force behind start of the World Cup and their they went about deciding which him in front of a ‘firing squad’. This now begs the question of events. it is Andy Flower, a former Test pipe-opening first game, at players would fit into which team Sure, he has been selected for the the future of players such as It is interesting how the 21- captain and ODI captain who Hambantota on February 20 for tours of Zimbabwe and limited overs squad for the Kaushal Silva, whose batting year-old Dilshan Munaweera, placed his life on the line during against Canada. It works out to Australia, but the end result is Australian A Team tour, but how skills are all too often overshad- with 471 runs an average 60.14 the 2003 World Cup by wearing a about fifteen or sixteen in which to just as big a riddle. many games will he be called on owed by his wicketkeeping tal- and two centuries has also been black armband decrying the fashion a World Cup-winning In their second attempt, to play? ents. At provincial level, he ignored for the A Team ‘Test’ death of democracy in Zimbabwe. squad. Is this going to be enough Yahaluweni, at transparency It is the same as Bandara. scored 357 runs at 89.25 with two squad and Tharanga Should a local club adminis- preparation for the major event since they issued a so-called Earlier this year, in a gesture centuries and a half-century. Paranavithana from the trator, or a journalist turn up at nine months down the line? fancy document designed to where you could almost see the Instead of being part of the Zimbabwe tour. It would also be Maitland Place wearing a similar Six days after Hambantota, Sri explain their policy, Ashantha de selectors smirking, he was Zimbabwe squad, he is pushed interesting to find the reason black armband protesting at the Lanka face Pakistan at the Mel’s band of merry obfuscators included in the squad for the tri- into the A Team ‘Test’ squad and behind Thilina Kandamby’s death of transparent administra- revamped Premadasa Stadium in have ignored form and gone for angular series in January, yet ignored as a one-day player. This selection for the limited-overs tion by continuance of not only Khettarama, and that is when the those they hope will achieve form when it came to playing, was is where the riddles continue to side in Australia. the government run ad-hoc inter- first genuine test of the team’s while on tour. And as such allowed one game against perpetuate their mystery. If anyone would care to check im committee, but also the selec- ability and strength will be put on moments of satirical humour or Bangladesh. Since then, despite Is there any point of taking his record for the India series tors, a white van with is mob of trial. It is why questions of what hypothetical situations, as you consistent performances in the Chamara Silva and Thilan and the Bangladesh triangular, paid thugs would follow whoever is squad will be finally chosen to rep- find in “Alice In Wonderland” or provincial tournaments, he has Samaraweera to Zimbabwe while they might wonder as well. In protesting and then shout ‘mistak- resent a hopeful nation, now free even “Through the Looking been snubbed, without reasons class is being shoved off to India, his average of 36.00 is en identity’ to hide behind the of the dastardly terrorist LTTE Glass, are not always understood given, as has Maharoof. Australia in what is seen as little boosted by two not outs in scor- barefaced lies they spew when fundamentalists, will be selected or appreciated, the need is to Bandara, as an example, has more than a dismissive sympathy ing 108 runs in five innings with news is released of another shame- and on what basis.

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