The house that ‘Angi’ built
View(s):Irrespective of the gender difference or any other allied factors, all living species are driven by the Alpha theory. Though it is more applicable to the animal kingdom, the theory suits all. The Alpha species are not manufactured. They are made up of certain qualities within every living being. So from the time they are tender, they keep developing these qualities until such time they carve out their own niche in life.
Gradually Chandimal is gaining in confidence. This would be a huge boost for skipper Mathews. (Picture by Amila Gamage)
For instance, as children you find some offspring who are more active and are more dominating than the others. They always have their own way and strangely the other siblings do accept that status quo and act accordingly.
In a way, the Alpha theory is applicable to sports too. Kapila Manohara who was the coach of Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews has this interesting anecdote. Talking to the Sunday Times Musings, Manohara said: “I first noticed Angelo’s leadership qualities while the young lad turned out for the St. Joseph’s under-13 team. From this very young stage, he was a cricketer who put a price tag in any of the disciplines that he engaged in. Be it batting, bowling or just fielding, Angelo had no short measures; he always wanted to do the best at everything. As a result it was not very long before he found himself at the helm of things at St. Joseph’s.
“In the present context where Angelo is the captain of the national side is no surprise to me. I feel that he aspired for that and from the very inset, he was working towards that goal.”Mathews shed his kid’s gloves eons ago. After his secondary national responsibilities at junior levels, he took wings under the watchful eyes of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena — and neither Kumar nor Mahela had any qualms about Angelo’s impending role. Gradually they pushed the Alpha male to the Lankan pedestal at a very young age. Maybe the two peers foresaw the inevitable. So they made sure that Angelo had the necessary gliding class of captaincy.
There were surprises when Angelo was zoomed into the crux of the matter at the age of twenty-five and the youngest ever at that in Sri Lanka. The system knew that before long Mathews would have a cache full of toddlers in his basket and it was important that he knew the intricacies of leading a pack of green horns from the very outset. More importantly, h was taught how to size up the ground reality and keep surviving without getting lost in the wilderness.
This is why this particular series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies is so important. One day, history will tell us why it is so.
The setting up of the background was most opportune. Though both teams were equal in status internationally, in reality they are facing shifting sands, yet no side has the luxury of letting up at any given time.
Taking our own interests to heart, yes, Mathews have taken the cue and has become the Alpha Male that Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena strived to groom. But, this is not a contest for the world’s most successful survivor. This is about responsibility that has to grow with him. Now it is the responsibility of cricket system in Sri Lanka to see that the right wheels keep turning for the country and see that the Lankans move to the right slot in international cricket.
The vehicle certainly is not well-oiled. The engine — Mathews — keeps running well, but, there are dents and bruises on the bodywork along with some flat tyres that need urgent mending. For instance, in the first day of the second Test, opener Kaushal Silva had yet another short stay at the crease. Then at number three it was debutant Kaushal Mendis who was thrown into the deep-end of the affairs.
Yet, the contention is not about a Test series that is at stake. It is about how the Lankan gamut takes the standards from the current status to true international class. Interim coach Jerome Jayaratne feels that the transformation is rather complex, but achievable.
Besides Mathews, the only other player who could be safely included in the playing eleven is veteran Rangana Herath who now has a new responsibility of being the vice captain of the team. Yes, the two seamers Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Pradeep are also shaping up well, but, on the whole the playing XI is rather chaotic.
In batting, interim coach Jayaratne feel that batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal are shaping up well to take the cushioning effect in the top order batting. They feel that with their present form they should occupy the crease for some time.
Though not among the runs in the first innings, Karunaratne has been consistent in the recent past and has good credentials to prove that fact. He said, “Owing to the present state of affairs where our batting is rather limited, I feel that it is my responsibility to make my runs in a workman like manner. As a result it is a case of accumulating runs in the first fifteen overs. It is only after that, I feel that I have earned the freedom to go for the shots and make some quick runs.
“For instance in the first Test against the West Indies in Galle, I waited till I was in my late nineties to loft the ball. In that I hit six to reach my three figure mark. Yet, generally I do like to play some shots on the up even in the early stages of my inning. This is Test cricket and the shot cycle is different.”
Comparatively having played more Test matches than Karunaratne, right hander Dinesh Chandimal is giving all the indications of sprouting out to his own self. He explained, “There was a time that I thought that I would be technically perfect to be successful in the international stage. But, I was proved wrong when I entertained that notion. At that time there were some judgements of error and I think I had to pay for those mistakes dearly.
“I always wanted to do the right thing. Not only in cricket, but, at given responsibility I always wanted to the right thing. Down the line people have helped me in many ways, but, I always took them in right spirit, yet I never let me undermine my principals.
“There was a time that I went through a bad patch and in reality even my own game was affected by it. Yet, I worked myself out of that predicament and now I see that I have regained my touch. Now I feel strong and I feel that I have regained my confidence.”
Jayaratne translates the scenario in this manner.
He says, “Most of our cricketers hail from the outstations, and they only learn the inner tribulations once they enter the international fold. As true professionals, this situation is not acceptable. So, this has become more of a mental exercise, where individual players would be confident to take the challenges in International cricket.
“For instance though there is a captain in the team, I want all eleven players to be captains in their own way. In batting there will be a number of captains who will have to take each game forward. When any batsman is at the crease he is the captain at the given time. There he has the responsibility of taking our game plan forward. Sometimes to do that they have to take decisions which are not given or tuned by the team management. However if it is the right call for that particular moment, they must not be afraid to take them.”
This is a glimpse of how Angi is going to build his castle. It may not be built the way Rômulus and Remus did, but nevertheless it would be done and when it is done, it would be the city that everyone could play in.