Jayasuriya a genius

Asantha de Mel, the former fast bowling allrounder and now Chairman of Cricket Selectors was spot on when he said that Sanath Jayasuriya’s inclusion in the Asia Cup team was a must now that the ‘Master Blaster’ is in top form.

Jayasuriya is something out of the ordinary. He seems to be getting better with age and the things he is doing with bat, ball and on the field puts to shame some of the youngsters playing the game today.

In Twenty20 cricket the participant has to be more than 100 per cent fit. And watching Jayasuriya doing things it is amazing how he does it.

At the age of 39 his fitness, timing of the ball and the dashing running between the wickets are things that can be performed by only a genius. And there is no challenging the fact that Sanath Teran Jayasuriya is a genius.

Half baked critics

Some half baked critics took the chairman and the other selectors - Don Anurasiri, Jayantha Seneviratne and Ranjith Madurasinghe to the cleaners for slotting in Jayasuriya.

The foursome have been top cricketers during their time, that is why they have been made selectors and they know what they are doing and they need nobody to tell or show them their job.

And the selectors must remember that they are answerable only to the Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge and not to every Dick, Tom and Harry.

Asantha de Mel and his team have their critics. Some of them are hell bent to oust them, appoint a selection team that could be dictated to and pulled around like puppets.

But the Minister smelt a rat, gave them an extension and the Minister would not be faulted if he appoints them for another term. They are doing a job to the best of their ability and it would do the game a lot of good if they are retained.

De Mel had also said that if Jayasuriya continues his form there is no reason why he should not be considered for the World Cup 2011. De Mel is quite right.

Age is no barrier

As for the writer, age is no barrier. Performance is what is important and if Jayasuriya is on a roll and everyone hopes he will then there should be no second thoughts and Jayasuriya must lead the batting.

And it is hoped that de Mel will be around when selection time for the next World Cup comes around.

Jayasuriya brings fame to the country not only with his exploits on the field but also outside it. Recently he was selected as SAARC Goodwil Ambassador for the programme “Uniting for HIV/AIDS by the selection committee at a meeting of the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu.

Arjuna on a hot tin roof

The other day we received a notice, signed by its new mediaman Shane Fernando from the media unit, Sri Lanka Cricket informing us of a press conference to be held at the headquarters at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

The notice stated that it was with regard to the Asia Cup team selection.

But what one saw after Chairman of Selectors Asantha de Mel had his say on the selections, was Arjuna Ranatunga hitting wildly and bashing newspapers and some journalists.

Now for a man of Ranatunga’s stature this in unbecoming and unacceptable. The former Sri Lanka captain must realise and understand that he is an MP, was a Deputy Minister and now heads the prestigious Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket. Then it requires that he acts in keeping with these honoured positions, and not act like a cat on a hot tin roof and flay everyone who he imagines are his detractors.

The writer watched Ranatunga as a schoolboy and then as a Sri Lankan player and later captain, and although we had our differences, as his career began to blossom we trusted each other and we formed a good rapport.

We even tagged him ‘Captain Cool’, because he never lost his nerve or cool, but played the game according to the rules and he was an example.

Now that Ranatunga is Chairman, he must continue to keep his cool, play his new innings as he did when on the field and be an example.

What he now says and does not only gets into the print and electronic media and the Internet takes it out to the world. Then the way Ranatunga behaves and what he says is keenly followed abroad and they would have now read the swipe at the newspapers and some journalists and the would have formed a poor opinion.

Unsporting tactics

One can’t understand Ranatunga’s unsporting tactics. He made an irresponsible statement when he said that he is aware that some journalists are in the pay of Sri Lanka Cricket.

We don’t want to elaborate and explain this to the Chairman, but now that he is feigning ignorance we would like to refer him to a member who is in his Interim Committee, the respected mediaman Premasara Epasinghe who would be only too glad to explain to him.

When Ranatunga was appointed Chairman, Interim Committee by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, it was welcome in all sports quarters, because he was the right choice.

It looked as though the cricketing messiah had arrived to take the game to the promised land. But during this short period he seems to have gone off the radar and is now on course to bring the cricketing airline crashing down.

In his first media conference he promised that he was not in the hot and prestigious seat to take revenge. He must turn the searchlight inwards and ask himself the question.

Am I not taking revenge?

Apparently Ranatunga is being misled by individuals who are attempting to enrich their lifestyles. He must remember the saying..... God save me from my friends....