When should
a cricketer retire?
As an ardent cricket fan it is worth pondering on this issue. Also it is a relevant point to question in the present day context. I know most of the players do not like to hang their boots even when they are old, especially our Sri Lankan cricketers. The know if they continue to play it is a gold spring. So they would like to carry on as long as possible. They are the least bothered about their country or their own form. If our selectors wait till the so called old horses retire, it will do more harm than good to our national cricket. Therefore the Cricket Board or the Interim Committee has to take some steps to persuade some of the senior cricketers to retire.
When a player is about 35 years of age he is fairly old as a cricketer. A cricketer needs a lot of strength and energy to perform well. He cannot do the same way what he did in his twenties. Then the selectors should take a bold step and inform the player that he has played enough for the country. If he continues young players cannot be included on the side. Then the future of Sri Lanka cricket is in danger. If up and coming players are not included in the team, they will never get a chance to expose themselves.
If an aged player wants to continue after 35, he should be given targets. From there onwards his next 10 innings he should show his worth to remain in the team. If he is a batsman he should score at least 350 runs. A bowler should be able to take at least 35 wickets for the side. If his performances are lower than the expected target, there is no point in carrying on in the side as a passenger.
My concern is not aged players playing is the team but when they do not perform well and continue to play. In every nook and corner there are very talented players. We need not depend on so called big names all the time.
- Bro. Nimal Gurusinghe F.S.C
Thajone Savanghan
It is with great interest I read the article on the late Thajone Savanghan. When the Sri Lanka Sevens team visited Dubai for the International Sevens in 1988 the side was skippered by Priyantha Ekanayake and not Chandrishan Perera.
During that era when Thajone Savanghan led Havelocks to the Triple Crown, his brother Juragen captained the Police XV. Fans and family members of the brothers were at cross roads as whom to support and cheer: Thajone or Juragen!
I too had a hand in organizing the Sri Lanka Sevens team’s visit to Dubai in 1988, an assignment which is still very much in the local rugby agenda.
M. Maheswaran
(Former Manager Dubai Exiles RFC) |
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