Tuesday 7th December, 2010

Shadow Coach goes Down Under in search of greener pastures

BY REX CLEMENTINE casual conversation while the team was settle down and help the Head Coach in Level Three Coaching programme had in Zimbabwe and when Hathurusinghe formulating plans and batting. He was been arranged by SLC and it has been ri Lanka Kumar returned home thinking that everyone making steady progress and was looking funded by SLC. The point is, you’ve got to Sangakkara may have admitted that was supportive of his decision to leave, he forward for more challenges when D.S. de remember that we won the tri-nation Sin the post Trevor Bayliss era after found he was in trouble. Silva decided to intervene. tournament in Zimbabwe. I had the back- next year’s Cricket World Cup, Chandika “They issued me with a show cause “When I left ing of the Head Coach and the Manager Hathurusinghe had the credentials to notice saying I had abandoned the tour Zimbabwe, I didn’t when I left. When SLC decided to ter- take over as the Head Coach of the and I had disobeyed the chairman’s see any signs of minate my services it came as a national cricket team, but after the request. The inquiry was held but I was this coming. The total surprise,” he said administrators removed him from the not allowed to be represented by a lawyer. When asked what his formu- position of Shadow Coach of the national After that I didn’t see the inquiry judg- la for successful coaching was, team, the former opener has made up his ment because they didn’t show it to me Hathurusinghe said working Mike Hussey mind to migrate to Sydney, Australia in but I was issued another letter saying that personally with each player search of greener pastures. my services were terminated because I helped. “What’s required is The 42-year-old Hathurusinghe was was found guilty of the show cause understanding individ- Hussey hoping removed from the post despite support notice. What I fail to understand is there ual players and help- from the hierarchy of the national cricket was no official complaint by the Manager ing them to be the team. He was accused of disobeying SLC and there was no official request for me best they can. Press Interim Committee Chairman D.S. de from SLC asking me to stay back with the the right button to push themselves for a draw Silva’s orders, but when one looks into team, until I left. I only had a verbal dis- out of their comfort zones the whole episode, you feel saddened by cussion with the chairman that’s all,” and help them to achieve ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) - what Hathurusinghe has been forced to Hathurusinghe said after deciding to what they can,” Australia batsman Mike Hussey says migrate to Australia. Hathurusinghe go through. Due to one man’s ego, Sri his side could get a psychological Lanka is going to lose the services of a In a desperate attempt to retain his added. talented cricket coach. As a former crick- services for the national team, Sri Lanka edge over England if it can force a et administrator put it, these days among captain wrote a letter draw in the second Test at Adelaide. us we have, ‘small minds in big places’. to the interim Committee Chairman, Hussey battled to put on 104 runs After the T-20 World Cup early this requesting him to reinstate the coach, but with Michael Clarke before his vice- that request fell on deaf ears. “My inter- year, the national team was playing non captain fell to Monday’s last stop cricket having had to travel to est in regaining his services is purely self- Florida and then Zimbabwe for interna- ish. I want to be part of a team that is from Kevin Pietersen, meaning that tional commitments. According to the coached by the best. I firmly believe that England need just six on the original schedule, the tri-series in after the 2011 World Cup, Chandika has final day to win the Test with the home Zimbabwe was to end on the 8th of June, the capability to ably head the coaching of side still 137 runs behind. but it was extended by a couple of days, the national team. The whole squad of The left-handed batsman admitted apparently on a request made by India, national players respect him and admire the left the Australian dressing the third participant in the tri-nation him for the work done,” Sangakkara competition. wrote in his appeal. room downbeat, but believes with a bit Hathurusinghe, meanwhile, was to fol- At a time when the government is of luck in the middle and perhaps a low a Level Three coaching programme requesting the public and the media couple of hours of rain, a draw is still in Australia, something endorsed and to support the national team, one possible. may wonder whether the Interim sponsored by SLC that was scheduled to “I thought we fought pretty hard start on June 13th. He was scheduled to Committee of leave for Australia on the 11th of June. appointed to run the sport is giv- today, it was a real kick in the guts to The change of Zimbabwe schedule ing ear to the request of the lose that one in the last over but we’re was going to affect Hathurusinghe’s trav- national captain. still there fighting,” Hussey said. “It el to Australia and after discussing with Hathurusinghe, who played 26 was a pretty sombre way to finish the team manager Anura Tennakoon and Test Matches from 1991 to 1999, game for us. it would have been really Head Coach Trevor Bayliss, joined Sri Lanka Cricket as the ‘A’ nice for us to go in three down.” Hathurusinghe decided to stick to origi- team coach where he helped several nal schedule to follow the programme in players like , However, there is still everything to Australia that had been prearranged. , play for, particularly with the first Test Hathurusinghe had informed about and Thilina Kandamby to reinvent them- also being drawn. his plans to Nishantha Ranatunga, the selves while several others like Angelo “If we can draw the match, Mathews and Tharanga Paranavithana Secretary of Interim Committee, who had England will see it as a loss - so that’s in turn said that he didn’t have any prob- graduated to the national side from the ‘A’ lems if Hathurusinghe had the blessings team while he was in charge and the got to be something that has to drive of the Tour Manager and Head Coach cricket fraternity knows how well these us on,” Hussey said. “ We’ve certainly which he had. players have performed in recent times. been outplayed, there’s no doubt But for some reason, Interim Hathurusinghe’s role in national team about that in this Test match... We’ve ranged from helping the ‘A’ team players Committee chief D.S. de Silva asked him got a lot of hard work to do, (with) to stick around in Zimbabwe during a who had graduated to the national side to maybe a bit of luck and hopefully a bit of weather to help us on the way.” Hussey believes Australia should ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) - Five years in our dressing according to the England batsman take its lead from Simon Katich, who and four months after his famous innings room as any- knows his game better than any- battled to 43 despite an Achilles ten- Newcastle that won the Ashes for England, Kevin one else. We one. don injury which made it hard for him Pietersen has removed all doubts about absolutely love "The two or three little his importance to the side with his finest KP, especially things that we worked on in to run between the wickets. fires manager “It was an inspirational perform- performance yet with bat and ball. when he's getting South Africa have got me NEWCASTLE, England (AP) - Day four of the second Test began on a double hundred back to where I used to play," ance really,” Hussey said. “In the field, Newcastle fired Chris Hughton on Monday Monday with him reaching his highest and taking their best Pietersen said. I was trying to get him to go to gully, with the mid-table Premier League club Test score of 227 and ended with him player out in the last we were trying to get him to go in the announcing that it wants to install a more taking the crucial wicket of Michael over." slips, he wasn’t having that... He’s will- experienced manager. Hughton steered Newcastle back into Clarke. Swann said his spir- ing to show that he’ll fight all the way the Premier League in May after a season Though his previous best score of its were lifted about the though he was on one leg. in the second-tier and had presided over a 226 came against the West Indies at bowling possibilities when “I remember when he was dropped 5-1 rout of local rival Sunderland in Headingley in 2007, Pietersen has Pietersen returned to the from the Australian team; a lot of peo- October, a 1-0 victory at Arsenal and a 1-1 always struggled to top the 158 on the dressing room for the tea inter- ple thought he was written off forever. draw with Chelsea. He becomes the first last day of the 2005 series - until this val on Sunday afternoon. But knowing the man and knowing the top-flight manager to be sacked this sea- Test. "I wasn't watching yesterday, I son. character, I knew he’d come back and Despite a 3-1 collapse at West show how good he is and he did that Browmich Albion on Sunday - Newcastle’s today.” third loss in five matches - the north-east Hussey was just as effusive in his club is still 11th in the standings after 16 praise for Clarke, who apologised on matches. Twitter for not walking before the “Regrettably the board now feels that an individual with more managerial expe- umpire’s initial not out decision was rience is needed to take the club forward,” overturned on England’s appeal. Newcastle said in a statement. “The task “I could tell in Michael’s body lan- of appointing a new manager now begins. guage that he thought he was out,” An announcement will be made shortly Hussey said. regarding transitional arrangements “He’s pretty distraught at the pending the appointment of a successor.” Pietersen had meanwhile been was having a nap in the changing room," moment. He played awesome cricket - Bookmaker William Hill installed for- labelled an outcast in the lead-up to the Swann said. "It was lovely, air condi- mer West Ham manager Alan Pardew as the way we have loved watching him Ashes by Shane Warne and former tioned. KP came off and said 'It's turning the 7-2 favorite to succeed Hughton, fol- play over the last few years. It was lowed by Martin O’Neill, who quit Aston Australian coach John Buchanan, but square out there, it's impossible to bat."' great for him to play that well but it England spinner Graeme Swann says A day earlier, South African-born Villa before the start of the season, at 9-2. was disappointing he couldn’t get this perception is unfounded. Pietersen credited his resurgence to the The 51-year-old Hughton was hired by through to the end of the day. He’s Newcastle in February 2008 as Kevin "The only people who say he's an work he has done recently with Graham pretty shattered at the moment but he Keegan’s assistant and also served under outcast are those not in the group," Ford in his native Natal. Ford was Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer. Swann said. "He's as popular a member Pietersen's childhood mentor and played fantastically well today.”

Published by Upali Newspapers (Private) Limited, 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13 and Printed at 195/187, High Level Road, Homagama on Tuesday 7th December, 2010