Hopelessness and a never-ending transition
When Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena retired in 2015, even the most optimistic Sri Lankan fans acknowledged they left a void too big to be filled overnight. Nobody, however, would’ve anticipated Sri Lanka to be searching hopelessly for replacements even five years later. But this is exactly where we stand, while we struggle to keep up with other countries. The “transition” seems endless.
There have been some odd sparks–like the 3-0 drubbing of the Australians or the 2-0 win over South Africa in Test matches which created an illusion of success but Sri Lankan cricket continues to falter at home and away, regardless of how many foreign experts are enlisted.
Coaches, selectors and captains have been easy scapegoats for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), a multimillion-dollar business run by some unprofessional, unqualified officials who have also failed to stop this steady decline. It is so corrupt that the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has repeatedly questioned officials over controversial transactions. It is so inefficient that it could not organise media coverage of the current series against England when, in other countries, not only journalists but fans are allowed. The dire lack of wisdom and foresight point to the fact that the woes of the national team — and their answers — lie within the four walls of SLC’s Maitland Place headquarters.
When Shammi Silva and his team took control of SLC in February 2019, their priority was to fire Chandika Hathurusingha, then head coach, hoping the change of guard would usher in a new chapter. His contract was valid till December 2020 but he was suspended for several months after the 2019 World Cup in England. Then, he was sacked for allegedly failing to discharge his obligations under the agreement, for creating disharmony within the team and for gross insubordination.
Thilan Samaraweera, the batting coach, was given marching orders before that, just a few months after he joined the set-up. Graham Ford was also sacked several months before his 45-month contract expired.
Did these decisions bring about expected change? Have they helped iron out frictions in the team that resurface every now and then? Have the players become fitter and stronger to the extent that they don’t break down during competitions? Have they stopped the erosion of discipline?
Many are the times the leaky faucet was fixed in the burning building while repeatedly ignoring the underlying issues, including a farcical first-class system that produces nothing but mediocracy and failure to expose fringe players in order to create a strong bench to challenge those already in the national side.
Would Niroshan Dickwella, who is without a Test century despite having played 40 odd matches, find a consistent place in any other team in the world? Lahiru Thirimanne, who averages below 25 in Tests, would have been history if we had players in reserve to take his place. Retired fast bowling great Chaminda Vaas has a better average than him. We are still struggling to find a settled top order. The search for the next Murali, Vaas and Herath continue without much success. This is the state of cricket in Sri Lanka.
Look at how a young Indian side beat Aussies in their own backyard after embarrassingly losing the first match. Their fringe is as good as the seniors. Had Sri Lanka’s bench been as strong as its top players, they would’ve done better in South Africa where injuries put several seniors out of the tour.
Whilst most countries have brought about meaningful changes to their existing first-class tournaments to sustain the competitiveness of the national team, SLC has been sleeping.
The argument that the existing system has produced legends like Aravinda, Sanath, Mahela, Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralidaran–and that, therefore, we must hang on to the same–is no longer valid in the prevailing context. Sri Lanka has a first-class system with 24 teams which means nearly 400 players are playing a diluted tournament. There have been repeated calls from past and present cricketers to create a competitive first-class structure to bridge the ever-widening gap between domestic and international cricket. Mahela even prepared a blueprint. There has been a deafening silence on the part of successive administrators.
A first-class structure is like the foundation of a building. The stronger it is, the more the chance of it withstanding the test of time. Similarly, if the first-class structure is strong and competitive, the probability of producing top quality cricketers is much higher.
At a time when the Board is adamant about quantity in the first-class tournament, they should at least have exposed the fringe players by providing them with sufficient A cricket tours. Sadly, Sri Lanka has played no A team matches since June 2019. This is sheer incompetence and a lack of forward-planning. What the Board has done, instead, is to dole out funds to member clubs and associations to strengthen their hold in the cricket administration — because selections to Board positions lie in the hands of those clubs and associations.
And, now, an election is again around the corner. Christmas will come early for those voting clubs. Financial handouts are expected by the clubs by way of “development grants”. What “development” that will be remains a mystery.
The story is no different in U-19 cricket. The World Cup is in 2022. What plans have SLC made to prepare their youth team for a title that has consistently eluded us?
With the election around the corner, it is in the best interest of the game that significant change is brought about, starting with bringing in men of honour to administer the sport. If not, nothing will stop this ruinous cycle.