If I was a farmer, honestly I would not look out for the government subsidised fertilizer package. I hear it is bad for the soil and ground water equally and may be it is even the cause for some of the ailments that the people in the agriculture belt are afflicted with.
Instead I would pray for the pundits at Maitland Place to arrange inbound tours. Just let me pause for a moment; at the same time we may be able to persuade them to build more international stadiums in the agriculture belt so that they would never suffer an economic plunge as a result of a drought.

Well, the weather gods had the last laugh. The Kiwis came to Sri Lanka to end the self-inflicted cricket drought that lasted for more than three months, but, alas there was hardly any cricket. There was rain. Wait; please do not blame those who organised the series. There were impeccable arrangements. All matches were scheduled to be played in some of the driest areas in Sri Lanka. Hambantota, Dambulla and Pallekelle were the venues. But, Zeus knows better and when it should rain and where it should rain.

Could youngsters like Dimuth Karunaratne mature into cricketers in the calibre of Kumar Sangakkara. -AFP

However, during the cricket drought the Lankan hierarchy did get some cricket rain. Sri Lanka ‘A’ played New Zealand ‘A’ and the Kenyan National team. Because of the lack of domestic cricket the ‘A’ team engagements received good media exposure and as expected the Lankan juniors did perform well.

So much so in the ‘A’ series against New Zealand, opener Dimuth Karunaratne was in blazing form where he scored 271 runs in the three ODI series at an average of 90.33.

The Lankans awaited the Kiwi big guns to follow. Ironically it was not to be. Skipper McCullum (Brendon) and former skipper Ross Taylor were held back so that they can get used to the red ball to face the Windies in the longer version of the game at home. The Kiwi team was weakened further when Tim Southee and Kane Williams (who was initially given the opportunity to lead the National team) also stayed at home, injured.

The interest in the series died before it took off when fast bowler Kyle Mills was forced to lead the side with a pocket full of guys who lost the series in Sri Lanka when they came in with the Kiwi ‘A’ outfit. Yet, the depleted Kiwi ship waded through the rough waters in Sri Lanka to put more than some blushes on the Lankan faces.

The Lankans have that uncanny ability of elevating and downgrading their games according to the situation. Give them a World Cup; they become unyielding fighters and the meanest opponent to any foe. Just look at their performances in the ICC World Cup competition. Even before they were given the full membership of the ICC they fought the Australian team consisting the Chappells, Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson and made the cricketing world believe about the Lankan cricket resolute in their very first outing at the World Cup in 1975. Then in the second shy, four years later Sri Lanka became the first non-Test playing nation to topple a full member — by beating India by 47 runs. Just to run it further, besides winning the cricket World Cup still as minnows in 1996, the Lankans ended up as the runners-up of the World Cup repeatedly in 2007 and 2011.

In hindsight, early this year the Lankans struggled to hold poorly placed Bangladesh to a 1-all draw in the ODIs and then repeated the feat in this series barely managing to stave off the challenge posed by an understrength New Zealand side – thanks to bad light.
I do not blame the Lankans for losing that second ODI. When the New Zealand bowlers were in operation the conditions were perfect, yet the Lankans going at 6 runs per over were 138 for 1 when rain decided to intervene in the 23rd over. When New Zealand batted it was a wet outfield –the worst nightmare for any bowler. The slippery white cherry has no grip at all.

Yet, the 3rd ODI which the Lankan managed to salvage, they bowled badly. In both ODIs, Lasith Malinga was below par. The only seamer to keep his head was Nuwan Kulasekera. Though Rangana Herath had a forgettable last over in the match Sri Lanka lost, the left armer was on spot in the final ODI. But, for the inexperienced Kiwis to recover from 26 for 5 to 126 for 6 in the 25th over, Sri Lankans had to bowl badly. No excuses. The same Lankan attack has contained better batting lineups under worse circumstances while even playing overseas. But, under home conditions against a second rate New Zealand batting line up, this performance was hard to swallow.

In Sri Lanka, there is no prince in shining armour in the likes of Kohlis, Rohit Sharmas or the Shikar Dhawans of India. Our story is like the perennial story of the bug. You can begin from anywhere; you end the story with Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardena.
Dimuth Karunaratne who banged the Kiwis ‘A’ at a rate of 90 runs per inning failed. Even double figures would have been a luxury for him. Chandimal and Thirimanne had sad episodes once again. The man-of-the-series was Dilshan. Could we find some Dorian Grey pills from somewhere and get the three seniors to play forever?

Lately, among the young bowlers, besides Sachitra Senanayake, none of the other youngsters has impressed. At one point the selectors were gloating on the abilities of off-spinning batsman Dilruwan Perera, but now we find Ramith Rambukwella of a lesser ilk has got the nod above Perera in the T20s. Yes, he may have delivered, but to play at that level, he also must be able to judge the oncoming balls.
Then talking of the longer version of the game, Sri Lanka now is at a pathetic eighth position in the ICC Test rankings. Recently an SLC high-ranker casually mentioned “Once we beat Pakistan in the Test series, by next year, we can improve our position in Tests”.

Am I still enjoying that Ninja sleep or is it time to wake up? Sri Lanka still has not played a single Test match since March this year, to be precise Tuesday March 19, 2013. Nearly ten months we are out of the Test ring. Yet, the Pakistanis are fresh from a series against South Africa – played on the same terrain and they even beat the South Africans in the first Test.

For a moment I do not envy the job at hand for the Lankan selectors led by Sanath Jayasuriya. Seemingly they are on the job. But, ironically they are not the performers, in the middle it is upto the playing eleven to do the job. Now with Dilshan retiring, there is more pressure on Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena to perform along with Rangana Herath to do the bowling where Test matches are concerned?

Since 1975 Sri Lanka has been in the lineup of every ICC arranged tournament. To the first World Cup, we were invited. In the second turn, we had to qualify. But, from what I foresee thanks to some brilliant heads at Maitland Place, Sri Lanka will not be there in the 2017 Test championships. Yet, I do pray—please prove me wrong.