Whither Sri Lanka cricket?
View(s):By Rev. Bro. Nimal Gurusinghe F.S.C
Our series with Bangladesh was somewhat successful. Sri Lanka managed to win the Test series and the T20 Match. Then the One Day series ended in a tie. It is good for our two new captains, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, to start on a winning note. I am sure this would boost their morale. I congratulate both of them and wish them good luck in their future endeavours as skippers of Sri Lanka cricket teams.
As honest cricket fans, can we be satisfied with our performance? Our players had the home advantage while, on the other hand, Bangladesh is a very mediocre team. As well as this, in the world rankings it is always at the bottom. So, when we look back at things from that angle, we cannot be happy with our country’s performance.
In 2015 Sri Lanka has to play the World Cup. It will be played on alien soil which is not familiar to our players. If we do not show our class in England then we may have to face great humiliation when we play in the most prestigious tournament in the world in another two years time. Are we going to continue with Mahela Jayawardane, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Rangana Herath? Undoubtedly, they are world-class cricketers. But will they be in the same form in 2015? Will their foot work be quick enough to give their best to the team? These are the facts that need to be considered for the next world cricket plum.
Personally, I feel it is better that Sri Lanka should form a fairly young side for the next World Cup. This would be an investment. It would be nice if our four ‘old horses’, namely Mahela, Sangakkara, Dilshan and Herath, were to make way for newcomers to step into their shoes for the 2015 World Cup.
In 1996 we won the World Cup and most of the veterans who played then were on the 1999 World Cup Team. All of us know what happened at that time. After having so many experienced players in the squad we were eliminated in the very first round itself. If our senior players keep on playing then the same thing may happen in the next World Cup too. I suggest that Sri Lanka form a team that could play in 2015 and in 2019 as well. Then it will become a mature and experienced outfit that can deliver the goods. I hope our selectors think of the future of Sri Lanka Cricket.
IPL Cricket
It is indeed sad to hear that our cricketers are not welcome in Tamil Nadu. Also, if they play there they are not safe. What guarantee do we have that our national players are safe in other Indian states? Isn’t it entirely possible that a group from Tamil Nadu could go to another state and disturb our players? If our cricketers play in the IPL Tournament then they should be able to play anywhere in India. Our Government should have asked the Indian Central Government to give full security to our lads during their time in India. It such security is not forthcoming then there is no point in playing in the tournament. In the future we may have to play a World Cup Final in Tamil Nadu. What will our position be then? Will we automatically give a ‘walkover’ to our opponents in such a situation?
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