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by Oliver Brett

It is more than just coincidence Sri Lanka are seeking a captain and a coach at the same time.

And there are no outstanding candidates to take on either role and no obvious blueprint for the future.

Something of a nadir has been reached after a loss to Zimbabwe in Sharjah on Monday ruled Sri Lanka out of the final of the Cherry Blossom Cup.

Most serious cricket coaching is still conducted only at a minority of elite boys' public schools, despite the island being home to 20 million people.

However the national cricket team has generally punched above its weight in world cricket.

They are, after all, one of only five teams to have won the World Cup, which they did when the team was at the peak of its powers in 1996.

One of the unfortunate consequences of that remarkable triumph was it left Sri Lankans assuming further great things would come their way.

But no team can rely on the brilliance of one or two individuals - and that showed itself starkly in the latter stages of the 2003 World Cup.

Aravinda de Silva, one of their heroes from the memorable win against Australia seven years ago, retired immediately after the latest World Cup.

And the man who was captain during the mid-1990s, Arjuna Ranatunga, abandoned cricket for a political career.

But Sri Lankan cricket is a complicated nut to crack. In January, Ranatunga won some sort of legal battle which could yet enable him to head the country's cricket administration.

As things stand, there has been an interim board running Sri Lankan cricket for some time.

Its chief executive, Anura Tennekoon, is a softly-spoken, diplomatic sort.

Double demise

The demises of Dav Whatmore and Sanath Jayasuriya are very clear cases in point. Jayasuriya has twice tried to resign as captain in recent weeks. On 23 March, the sports minister rejected his resignation. Then, in Sharjah, he told a television reporter he was handing in his notice again.

On this occasion, Tennekoon revealed he had not heard anything official, again leaving the team leadership in an uncomfortable state of limbo.

Jayasuriya's choice of heir is Marvan Atapattu, a man who is almost as experienced as him, but who will be 36 at the next World Cup.

Younger potential candidates are Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold and Mahela Jayawardene.

But Sangakkara is perhaps too volatile a character, while Arnold and Jayawardene were both dropped for the Sharjah Cup.

As for the position of coach following Whatmore's sacking, the news is a number of candidates have been contacted by telephone for the job, including John Bracewell. Further developments are awaited. And soon we will see a new era in Sri Lanka cricket unfold.

Initially, ambitions may have to be less grand than before.

But with thousands of Muralitharan clones reportedly waiting in the wings there is no reason Sri Lanka cannot. (Courtesy BBC)

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