Youngsters - key to India's success

It is obvious that India's victories over Sri Lanka in the one day Videocon series has been due to their budding young and promising players.

Greg Chappell the coach is one who is able to spot talent and he dares by playing them, and they in return have obliged the coach with some sparkling performances.

It is said that when former captain Sourav Ganguly was at the helm, he had his favourites and would persist with them whether they delivered or not. But Chappell the former Australian batting great, once he took over made it known to the Indian Cricket Board and the selectors that it is not possible for him to continue and take their cricket to the top as long as Ganguly remains captain.

The men at the top of Indian cricket got Chappell and Ganguly to face them and after a long discussion, got them mend fences for the sake of Indian Cricket. But fortunately for everyone concerned, Ganguly suffered an elbow injury that ruled him out of the game, and that made Chappell's job that much easier. He hammered it into the selectors that if India was to challenge strongly at the next World Cup in the Caribbean next year, fresh blood had to be introduced.

And the fresh blood he has introduced has gone to rejuvenate the team and bring instant success. Players of the calibre of Sreesanth, Yadav, Karthik, Agarkar, Dhoni, Rao, Raina and Gambhir would have never made it to the team had the former skipper been around. The above-mentioned players have shown their capabilities with great aplomb and finesse and everyone watching them are wondering as to where they have been and why they had not been considered before this.

Chappell is not one who would stop at this. Before the next WC he would go on unearthing talent and would see that the best and nothing but the best would make it to the Caribbean.

Watching the manner in which these youngsters were performing a question on every Sri Lankans lips is: Would Moody also an Australian, follow the example set by Chappell and look for promising youngsters so as to lift the Lankan game and their chances at the next WC ? Watching the Lankans perform it was obvious that past efforts had to be forgotten and that the game urgently needs young blood.

Would Moody dare or allow the game here to wallow in the mud and also spoil his reputation?

We would like to assure Moody if he dares and ventures out like how Chappell did, he would have the support and the backing of all lovers of the game and more importantly those who matter. Chappell has shown how and the ball is now in Moody's court.

For the Good of the game

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka, is one if not the only body that is keeping up to the motto of the Asian Football Confederation and that is doing things - for the good of the game.

Envisaging that the South Asian Games would be held on schedule, the FFSL is preparing in earnest. They have picked the best available players and are putting them through their paces.

Three tours have been arranged for the players. The first one is to Thailand, followed by tours to Singapore and Malaysia. While the FFSL is doing all that they can in their endeavour to hit the big time, it is sad that players of a bygone era who were brilliant are not emerging. The players of today are nowhere near the players of an era that could have held their own against the best in Asia.

Players of that by gone era that come to my mind are Azeez, Aluvihare brothers, P. D. Sirisena, M. A. Ameer, Edward Wickremasuriya, Judy Preena, Ranbanda, Subani Hashimdeen and his brother Hashimdeen who was classed as the best goalie in Asia, Piyadasa Perera, Muslafeer, Devindran and several others whose names cannot be mentioned due to lack of space.

Appreciating the good work that is being done by the FFSL, the German national team will soon be building a stadium in Galle that could hold its own against the best in the world. When the good things for the game are mentioned one can't forget the man who is silently and quietly doing it and shunning the limelight.

He is none other than the irrepresible Manilal Fernando. Fernando set in motion to help the tsunami affected players and the clubs and today these players and the clubs are better off.

The FFSL is one body the Ministry of Sports has no problems with because they conduct their every activity with honesty and transparency.

In fact they are an example to all other National Sports Bodies in the country.