Sports

Leading with the right footing?

Our riddle for the week goes like this...
Kumar Sangakkara was selected as the ICC's one day cricketer of the year largely owing to his batting form during the past year, while leading Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup into the finals.
At the moment Sri Lanka is going through a cricketing slump while losing a test to England and struggling against a weak Australian team.

Considering the above do you think Dilshan is the correct person to lead the team or was shouldn't Sangakkara have left his position as captain after the World Cup?

There was something else going on during the ICC World Cup. Think there was pressure from the administration side to give the win to India. At that time, the BCCSL was in debt for some millions of US dollars. This was seen from the players on that day. Also the selection of players from outside the pool
- Yasantha

Know not much of Sangakkara. But temperamentally he was the sort of guy who would have liked to have led the team up front, therefore very demanding. Under such circumstances he would have found difficulty in maintaining cohesion in the team especially with senior cricketers about him.
Sri Lankan cricketers are no exception when it comes to records and for a captain it is more so at least comparable to the feats of Sanath Jayasuriya or Mahela Jayawardena.
- Anon

Although going to bat at a very important batting position (No 3), which is meant for a stroke filled batsman of good reflexes, who can play the ball all along the ground at consistent basis without any undue risks, Sangakkara bats for himself but not for the team, (as a result we could win only 2 of the last 14 Test and lost almost all ODI series since 2007, if we had won it was due to our bowlers) thus making things difficult for the incoming batsmen. Batsmen who try to survive with risky strokes at the beginning of their innings, mainly due to their slow reflexes would give immense confidence to the opposition bowlers. Incidentally Samaraweera who is (a calm quiet person of good discipline by nature) is the ideal batsman for No3, groomed for the captaincy, from a very young age having being allowed to lead the under 19 & A teams. The ideal captain can't be selfish & shouldn't show any favoritism, he should be always prepared to play the best available.
--- Premasiri S

No, Dilshan is not the right guy who can bring back the team's lost prestige.
- Nisal

Sangakkara shouldn't have left captaincy after the world cup. The reason might be an "administrative bungling" that existed before and during the world cup series
- JJX

All teams go through a slump sometime or the other. It could well be due to too much cricket or too little cricket. I think Kumar S was too hasty in his decision to leave the captaincy. His performance with the bat has in no way let down the team. The selectors had no choice but to select the experienced Dilshan as Capt. In our losses it is the selectors who have blundered and not Dilshan. Let us have an experienced and proven person like Jayantha Seneviratne as Chairman of the National selectors
- Tilak Ratnasekara

Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend
 
Other Sports Articles
Cricket breaking petty barriers
Former Lankan Test cricketers feel DRS should have remained
What would have been for Wales
Local cricket contests formatted
Julian spins St. Peter's to easy innings win
The queen is scared
Leading with the right footing?
Disabled Malar finds a new world in Volleyball
Thangarajah takes title as Lankans make it three in-a-row
Mercantile Hockey Sevens Today
MAS clinch Merc Swimming title
Cooray leads Joes to Victory
Cambrians begin season on winning note
Zahira set to make strong comeback
Gurukula Kelaniya oozing with talent
‘Niko’, Clifford and 1974
Deaf Cricket Sixes on December 4
Richie Sappideen elected OWSC President
Malinga Amarasinghe wins Young Cricketer of the Year Award
SPC juniors emulate the seniors
Navy honours ‘Beach Games’ medal winners
Petes under 18 shuttle doubles champs

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 1996 - 2011 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved | Site best viewed in IE ver 8.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution