Wednesday 1st February, 2012 15 Letter Haddin says he was Why bring back dropped, not rested the destroyer? from ODIs SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin says he has been dropped from Australia’s one-day squad due to poor form, rather than being rested. Haddin was omitted in favor of understudy Matthew Wade on Monday for the first three matches of the limited-overs tri-series against India and Sri Lanka, with chairman of selectors John Inverarity saying he is being rest- ing after a heavy test schedule. Haddin told Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday he was dropped and may never get his spot back. The 34-year-old said if Wade takes his chance in the opening matches of the ODI series starting Sunday, he could be kept out of the Ashantha de Mel Aravinda de Silva Duleep Mendis team for good. It’s been suggested Haddin will return for the latter half of the tri- n this letter, I wish to pen a few lines Aravinda retired as chairman of selec- appointment of Mahela Jayawardene as series, but Haddin said he must on a former chairman of selectors, tors. captain, turning a blind eye to his face facts amid suggestions Wade Iwho has been entrusted with that job In the wake of it another icon with horrendous batting performance, may also be taken as a second yet again by the present Minister of the willow, a square peg in a round hole, in both Tests and ODIs. wicketkeeper for the tour to the Sports. Duleep Mendis took over the leadership There is no doubt that there is a West Indies starting in March. The re-appointment of Ashantha de of the selection committee, which made political twist to all this. It was “I think any time you’re out of Mel as Chairman of the Selection Panel many a selection blunder. Mahela with his political the Australian cricket team I think by the Sports Minister has raised a hor- A case in point was his axing of clout, who got a former you’re dropped,” Haddin told Sky net’s nest, in the context of his past posi- Thilan Samaraweera, (proven material Sports Minister, Gamini Sports Radio. tion as chairman, Ceylon Petroleum as a middle order batsman), for the Lokuge, to cancel the 2008 “You give another guy an oppor- Corporation. When he was the chairman series against Pakistan in the United England tour, so that he tunity to take your spot and you’ve of CPC, the Govt. was swindled to the Arab Emirates. This, despite Thilan hav- could sign on with the IPL ‘gold got to look if they do well, you tune of billions of rupees and Ashantha ing scored two double hundreds against mine’, for filthy lucre. It seems like got off scot free. the Pakistanis, in the previous series. To SLC is back to square one. could find it hard to get back in the I will not elaborate much on the sce- add insult to injury, he was dropped for team. “But that’s the way it’s and I’ve nario that surfaced during his stint as the South African tour. Fortunately, sani- Rex Wijewardene, just got to deal with that and make chairman of selectors earlier, for want of ty prevailed and the rest is history. Dehiwela. space, when Jeewan Kumaratunga was Thilan proved to be the trump card dur- sure I’m ready to play.” the Minister of Sports. ing the three match Test series against Haddin has been under pres- As the chairman of the selectors the Proteas. sure all summer over his perform- then, he opted for reasons best known to He played a pivotal role in Sri ances at Test level and Wade has himself to keep former captain and pres- Lanka’s batting and held center stage in been touted as his likely replace- ent batting coach, Marvan Atapattu in Sri Lanka’s historic win in the second ment should selectors decide to the dark and deprived him of playing in Test in Durban, which was Sri Lanka’s make a change. any of the 2007 World Cup matches. first win on South African soil. Wade will also play in the two Marvan, while playing on the third day The sports minister, who categorical- Twenty20 internationals against of a Test match at the Gabba in 2007, ly stated that there would be no change India this week in Sydney and dropped a bombshell, when he stated at SLC or a change in the position of Melbourne, and Haddin said he that the selectors were a set of muppets head coach, made a surprise U-turn and understood the need to give his headed by a joker, referring to de Mel, a sacked Geoff Marsh. deputy a proper taste of interna- pacie of a bygone era who used the cher- The sacking of Marsh, who was tional cricket. ry to great advantage. appointed by the head of Sri Lanka Haddin will captain the Prime The next chairman of selectors was Cricket (SLC), Upali Dharmadasa, after a the living legend Aravinda de Silva, who stint of just four months, was the Minister’s XI against Sri Lanka in didn’t get everything right. A case in unkindest cut of all. In his place in Canberra on Friday. point was his selection of the injured walked Graham Ford as head coach of “If you give your spot up and wizard of spin, Muralitharan for the the National cricket team. someone does well you’ve got no World Cup. His contention was that he One wonders if the ‘Matara Mauler’ right just to walk straight back in,” would play Murali, even if he had effec- had a hand in it. This scenario smacks of he said. tive use of just one leg. He had to eat his politics. Another glaring factor is the “I’m actually looking forward to words when Murali failed to deliver and retaining of the former secretary, the PM’s game, for someone from cut a pathetic figure out there in the mid- Nishantha Ranatunga, who has allega- Canberra it’s a great opportunity dle. In the aftermath of India’s triumph tions of corruption. to get back and captain that side.” over Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup, But what takes the cake is the Mahela Jayawardene BY S. VENKAT NARAYAN $300,000, followed by RP Singh and bracketed at $100,000. One rung lower, at Tremlett, Luke Wright, Rikki Clarke (England); Lou Vincent, Ian Butler, Our Special Correspondent Parthiv Patel ($200,000) and Ravindra $50,000, are Bangladesh opener Tamim (England); Vernon Philander, Nicky Andy McKay, Rob Nicol, Doug Jadeja, Vinay Kumar, Ramesh Powar Iqbal, the South African fast-bowling Boje (South Africa); RP Singh, Parthiv Bracewell, (New Zealand); Lonwabo NEW DELHI, January 31: Sixteen and VRV Singh ($100,000). pair of Johan van der Wath and Patel (India); Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Tsotsobe, Rory Kleinveldt, Herschelle Sri Lankans are among 144 cricketers All these players played for Kochi in Marchant de Lange and South Lanka). Gibbs, Marchant de Lange, Johan van from all over the world who will figure IPL-4 before the franchise was terminat- Australia’s Michael Klinger. $100,000: der Wath, (South Africa); Upul in an auction for the fifth edition of the ed by the IPL’s Governing Council. Notable among those players to have Capped: Tharanga, Farveez Maharoof, Chamara Indian Premier League (IPL), the “The shortlist comprises some out- been dropped are South Africa’s Jacques Brad Hogg, Stuart MacGill, Xavier Kapugedera, Ajantha Mendis, Dinesh world’s richest cricket tournament, in standing cricket talent. Given that it Rudolph and Justing Ontong, Sri Doherty, Adam Voges(Australia); Jade Chandimal, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Bengaluru on Saturday (Feb 4). was prepared on the basis of the feed- Lanka’s Dhammika Prasad and Suranga Dernbach, Simon Jones (England); Welegedara (Sri Lanka); Lendl They are: Mahela Jayawardene and back of the franchises themselves, the Lakmal, New Zealanders Jamie How Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills (New Zealand); Simmons, Suleiman Benn, Andre Muttiah Muralitharan – who retired stage is set for an exciting and eventful and Kane Williamson, Australia’s Justin Kemp, Robin Peterson, Alviro Russell, Devendra Bishoo, Adrian from international cricket after the 2011 Barath (West Indies); Hamilton World Cup, Dilhara Fernando, Upul Masakadza, Charles Coventry Tharanga, Farveez Maharoof, Chamara (Zimbabwe). Kapugedera, Ajantha Mendis, Dinesh Uncapped: Chandimal, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Lee Carseldine, Ben Edmondson, Welegedara, Thilina Kandamby, Thilan Peter Forrest, Daniel Harris, Michael Thushara, Jeevan Mendis, Dilruwan Neser , Michael Klinger (Australia); Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, and Jason Roy (England); Tom Cooper Sachithra Senanayake. Sixteen Sri Lankans to (Netherlands); Kevin O’Brien, Niall Dhammika Prasad and Suranga O’Brien (Ireland); Ahmed Amla, Dillon Lakmal are among those dropped from du Preez, Robert Frylinck, Richard Levi the auction. (South Africa), Kevon Cooper (West The list includes Sri Lankans and Indies). others who played last year for Kochi $20,000: Tuskers Kerala. Its franchise was termi- figure in IPL-5 auction Capped: nated by the IPL’s Governing Council. Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copeland Brendon McCullum, VVS Laxman (Australia); Adam Milne (New Zealand); and Sreesanth are the most valued Player Auction, this Saturday,” IPL Usman Khawaja, West Indies’ Carlton Petersen, Morne van Wyk, Imran Tahir, Paul Harris, Gulam Bodi, Vaughan van names among several former Kochi Chairman Rajeev Shukla said. Baugh and Zimbabweans Tatenda Mark Boucher, Ryan McLaren (South Jaarsveld, Andrew Puttick (South Tuskers Kerala players to have been There are several new additions to Taibu, Elton Chigumbura, Stuart Africa); Dilhara Fernando (Sri Lanka); Africa); Thilina Kandamby, Thilan added to a trimmed 144-man list for the the list, which did not feature on the ini- Matsikenyeri, Vusi Sibanda and Kyle Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Thushara, Jeevan Mendis, Dilruwan upcoming.