Confident debutants and pressure domestic cricket needed
by Richard Dwight
Apart from the uncertainty, that looms over the administration of the
game of cricket here, there is, as well the growing concern of there
being a glaring dearth of up and coming cricketers, with that extra
positive approach to forge ahead at the highest level.
Whilst this is true, equally revealing is the fact, that our current
cricketers on duty for the country, are in their late twenties, early,
and mid thirties, with an exceptionally rare 20 or 21 years old.
No longer do senior cricketers get younger anymore, and as they keep
advancing in years, their 'make up' faculties, physical fitness or even
the lack of form, in terms of the demands of 'Test Cricket', become
highly questionable.
This being so, it does follow that with time, quite a few seasoned
campaigners, in the Sri Lanka team, will have to be adequately replaced
by a set of enterprising, young cricketers. Those who will not be easily
irked by the rigors and pressures of Test Cricket, so as to ensure that
the progress of Sri Lanka cricket is maintained. And so the big question
is, do we have such a confident crop of talented youngsters, to either
emulate or do even better than those they replace.
Lamentably the answer is far from yes and, hasten to reason out, that
whilst these aspiring hopefuls are successful cricketers at the local
level - they, however aren't so geared to adjust and adapt themselves to
cricket played at the test level. For they are found to lack confidence,
are very tentative in their approach and more often than not, fail to
justify their selection.
The impression given is that they, come what may, need to be pursued
with, at the test level for a considerable length of time in order to
come to grips with the ordeal of Test Cricket.
But long gestation periods such as this for new comers in the cricket
team, is something that Sri Lanka Cricket can ill afford, especially in
the context of the highly competitive world of cricket, where winning
matters.
So as we dwell on our prospective cricketers who are either on the
verge of being selected or yet others striving to re-establish
themselves in the Sri Lanka side - our modest observations are that,
Gunewardena who bats in the carefree, 'come or go Chicago' style, could
get away with weaker opposition but against an astute captain and a
clever bowler, could become easy prey.
Kandamby was extremely lucky to get the nod and, only succeeded in
embarrassing the selectors, whilst Deniel we feel should move on to
convert his thirties into bigger scores, and it is time now that Mubarak
shrugs off his "To be or not to be" tentative, hesitant attitude and get
on with it, from the word go.
To reiterate that which was stressed earlier, these cricketers aren't
mature and lack experience at the highest level of cricket, to pass of
as novices against formidable opponents.
Notwithstanding this, it was however heartening to see Russell
Arnold, Michael Vandort, Malinga Bandara, Lasith Malinga and Rangana
Herath performing well to be seriously reckoned with.
The pity of it all was, that debutant Kalavitigoda failed to impress
in the concluded Wellington Test match against the kiwis - which goes to
show, that there is a big gap between our sub standard domestic
tournament and the demands of International Cricket.
There is undoubtedly, a lack of purposeful debut making cricketers
with a zest for impressive contributions, right from the outset of
entry.
A situation like this, quite naturally gives rise to the question of
indispensability - where well established senior players here, continue
in the team for long period of years. This certainly does not augur
well, especially in the prevailing highly professional and
commercialized environment. It is not healthy and does not count for
progress, with the young and future in mind.
Be that as it may, comparatively, new comers to the Australian, South
African, Indian and Pakistan cricket teams - do make their presence
felt, giving good account of themselves to justify their selection. The
reason for this is that aspiring young cricketers from these countries
are stretched at their local domestic tournaments in much the same way
as they would be stretched, playing in International and one day matches
and, so have a feel of the pressure and atmosphere that prevails.
Not so with our tournament here, where the club matches are tame
friendly affairs, with a lack lustre provincial cricket thrown in. The
authorities must therefore find ways and means to provide these
cricketers with a highly competitive, pressurized local tournament, with
the clubs getting down a few foreign players if needs be and, consider
as well prize money for the winners, runners-up etc. This probably will
help the aspiring young to quickly adjust adapt themselves with
confidence to the demanding rigors of International cricket.
Oh! for the long over due pleasure of seeing a fresher making it to
the Sri Lanka cricket team, go out to the middle and return after
awhile, with a debut century against his name - that would be the day.
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