The T-20 Meltdown and the Sorry State of Sri Lankan Cricket

Thursday 12th February, 2009 13 The T-20 meltdown Fernando’s 93* guides Badureliya

and the sorry state of by Manjula D. Phillips spot of bother at 128 for five, but Nonis and Fernando made sure the Upul Fernando scored an team got home without any trouble unbeaten 93 with two sixes and 11 adding an unfinished 125 runs in Sri Lankan Cricket boundaries and shared an unbro- only 93 balls. Nonis scored an ken 125 run stand with Nilushan unbeaten 54 with eight boundaries. either discipline and was instead the root cause of all the maladies Nonis as Badureliya SC beat Moors banished to the boundary edges affecting the sport in this country. SC in the ongoing Premier Limited Brief Scores: when we fielded. De Saram should If we need a new captain - the over tournament at Moors ground Moors SC 241 all out (43) have batted ahead of Mubarak and whole of Sri Lanka knows that on Friday. N. Nawala 25, D. Lokuhettige Weeraratne and the results would there is a readymade man waiting In a game reduced to 47 overs, 93,D. Randika 28, C. Mudalige 17*, have been there for all to see. in Kumar Sangakkara, who is not Moors were bowled out for 241 in 43 Amila Ratnayake 2/28, Ranesh Further, why did Dilshan keep only a superb cricketer, well overs as Ranesh Perera picked up Perera 5/37. wickets when he could have easily respected all over the world but also handed the gloves over to de Saram importantly a level headed, well five for 37. He was backed up by and bowled a few overs, which could spoken individual with a shrewd Amila Ratnayake, who picked up Badureliya SC 242/5 (37) have had a bearing on the final out- cricketing brain amongst his many two for 28. U. Fernando 93*, N. Nonis 54*, N. come of the match as we observed good qualities. Is there, then a sub- Badureliya in reply were in a Jayasinghe 2/39 how the spinners - Jayasuriya and tle attempt to by pass him for the Bandara throttled the Indian middle job and appoint a spineless crony order and brought us back into the instead? I wouldn’t be surprised if match until the captain panicked that too happens. Indian cricket has prematurely and made a tactical re-invented its image after the deba- blunder in the last four overs. cle of the 2007 World Cup to The plight that befell de Saram in arguably become the best team in this match is a cancerous disease, the word in all formats of the game by Hashan Tilakaratne which has afflicted our system over due to the bold and timely decisions the years where a talented player taken by its selectors, both past and Former National Cricket who is considered a threat to the present. In contrast, Sri Lanka, the Captain. seniors in the side is sidelined for no World Cup finalists are languishing rhyme or reason other than to serve at the bottom of the heap with the the vested interests of a few. likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. t was indeed a chastening experi- 4. Were the selectors hiding Who is to be held accountable for ence to observe Sri Lanka fritter Iaway a golden opportunity to put one past the reigning T-20 World champs India in Colombo the other night. This was a defeat hard to stomach, coming as it did after the humiliating loss in the preceding One-Day International series. Once again the age old phenomena of poor selection, shuffling of the bat- ting order and questionable tactics in crunch situations contributed to our downfall. After having India on the ropes twice in the match, we shot our- selves in the foot on both occasions to finish second best yet again. The points listed below are a graphic illustration of the present plight of Sri Lankan cricket which not only lacks leadership and direc- tion but has become a breeding ground for political no-hopers to bask in the limelight. 1. When the opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillekeratne Dilshan had scored 59 runs within the first 6 overs, why was the perma- nently out of form Jehan Mubarak sent in at no 3? The result, he scratched around Playing Dilhara Fernando in T-20s is asking for trouble as he seems to for 19 balls and broke the whole have not sorted out bowling no balls and wides. momentum of the innings. There were accomplished in form batsman Malinga Bandara in a dungeon of this sad state of affairs? One of the such as Indika de Saram and some sort over the past few months first steps of business in righting Chamara Silva or even a pinch hit- as we never saw this highly skilled these wrongs and to sack this set of ter like Kaushalya Weeraratne, who leg-spinner given a proper break ‘jokers’ as one former captain could have been used at that stage. during this period. famously mentioned in his retire- On this subject, let me reiterate Bandara showed his consider- ment speech not too long ago. that I have no personal grouse or able acumen and craft with his inci- In one of my previous articles to animosity towards Mubarak or any sive bowling in the middle which this paper, I mentioned that unless other individual mentioned herein, accounted for three wickets includ- we stop the rot setting in at SLC but my concern of the state of our ing the prize scalp of Dhoni, which because of political interference, cricket supersedes all other affilia- brought Sri Lanka into the match. we would very soon have to deal tions I may have within the game. Let’s hope he is not conveniently with the prospect of the cricketers 2. This Sri Lankan team resem- forgotten again. themselves embroiled in these ugly bles a cozy old boys club in a city 5. Trevor Bayliss is a highly paid machinations. Well suffice to say.D- school. I do not understand how coach. Does he not have a backbone Day has arrived and unless the wor- Dilhara Fernando of no-balls and to stand up to all these negative thy minister, who is pompously wides fame manages to find a slot machinations and manipulations basking in the best publicity he has ahead of the likes of youngsters like being enacted right under his nose? ever gained in his 25 years of poli- Suranga Lakmal, Farveez Maharoof My polite advice to him is, please tics by strutting around prize dis- or even a canny veteran like pack your bags and leave as his deaf- tribution ceremonies and negotiat- Chaminda Vaas. ening silence has contributed to the ing TV deals late in the night, gets a 3. All of us in cricketing circles present pathetic state of Sri Lankan sudden jolt to his conscience are aware of the step-motherly treat- cricket. (which is like asking for manna ment meted out to the talented de 6. Never in my life have I seen from heaven) or a ministerial Saram during the past so many such a set of incompetent individu- change is made (the best and only years. This time around he was als masquerading as selectors in alternative), Sri Lankan cricket selected to play as a wicketkeeper – our cricketing history. Their spine- and sports in general in this coun- batsman, but got no opportunity in less and thoughtless approach is try is doomed.

Moratuwa BC rout Singha Regiment

by Manjula D.Phillips Super League Basketball tourna- K. Dinugala with 13 points and ment, worked off at St. Joseph’s L. Weerasuriya with six points Moratuwa BC were backed up Girls’ School courts in Nugegoda. did most of the scoring for the by Rajitha Mendis and Rochana The match played on Tuesday, winners. Fernando, who scored 16 points was a one-sided affair and after each to guide the team to a com- taking a 38-22 lead in the first fortable win over Singha half, Moratuwa went onto win 80- Regiment in the ongoing Colombo 47.

Mahinda defeat Wesley by innings by Roshen Steelman Scores: Geeth Hemal hit a century and Sajith Wesley 120 all out in 53.4 overs (Pasan Kelumpriya scored a half-century for Samarasekara 36, Dulanjana Wijesinghe Mahinda College, Galle as they recorded 50; K. Gajasinghe 5/20, Rumesh Buddika an historical outright win over Wesley 3/33) and 153 all out in 57.2 overs (Pasan College, Colombo in their inter-school Samarasekara 52, Salinda Suriyakumara cricket encounter ended at Campbell Park 42; Rumesh Buddika 5/48, Tharaka yesterday. Rumesh Buddika captured a Nimesh 4/19) match bag of eight wickets providing Mahinda 283/7 in 82 overs decl (Geeth ideal support for K. Gajasinghe, who Hemal 101, Sajith Kelumpriya 83, K. picked up a five wicket haul in the first Gajasinghe 35, Rumesh Buddika 23; innings to lead their side to a comfortable Danial Perera 3/35, Tharidu Karunaratne innings and ten run victory. 2/44).