Team work - key to success

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Veteran captain of the champion Tamil Union team Sajith Fernando stated that team work was the key to their success in the SLC Premier limited overs cricket tournament. He added that each player soon identified his responsibilities from the start of the season and delivered the goods at the correct time. He also stressed the importance played by the Cricket Committee and the other

officials and the coaching staff

Following are the excerpts from the interview

Question: Tamil Union have won a major title after a lapse of ten years and what are your opinions as captain of the champion team ?

Answer: Personally I feel great because specially the club had some faith on me in making captain this year. And when I took the job I promised them that end of the

season either the one day or the three day silver will be at Tamil Union. I made that promise and kept to it. There were no individual performances and this was a whole team effort. Not only the playing XI or the cricketers but the Cricket Committee, President, General Secretary and the coaching staff everybody helped us to be the champions.

Question: What made you leave Colts Cricket Club ?

Answer: At Colts I was there for 13 years. And my first year as captain I won the Premier League four day tournament. So I had a one hundred percent record and I needed a new challenge. I came here when there was not much of a good side. This is my third year. And I think we have built into a great team. The youngsters had to mix with experience. My experience helped me to get the best out of the youngsters. I had a new challenge and won the Premier one day championship.

Question: How would you recall your stint at Colts Cricket Club ?

Answer: I really enjoyed my career at Colts CC. I achieved everything there other than of course playing for Sri Lanka. So I came to a club where there are new challenges where there was not much of a side compared to Colts which had about nine Sri Lankan players. I built up a good side and I got the captaincy this year.

Question: What were your early impressions on the side when you were appointed captain of Tamil Union ?

Answer: Without me captaining last year we had a very good side where we came into the final and lost to Bloomfield. I knew there was talent to win some silverware. It is just how you get the players to give their best was the problem here. To get them being professional, give them confidence, motivate them that was the main objective of my captaincy. And it proved to be a good one. You can have so much of talent but if you don't know how to get the best out of them it will be a waste. They are youngsters. As for me I am playing first class cricket for 15 years. So I knew the best way to get things done. Each player is different from the other player. So you got to talk to them in different ways and get the best out of them. I managed to do that and also the boys came to the task and gave me the best.

Question: Which stage of the tournament that you really felt that the team is within sight of winning the title ?

Answer: Half way through we knew that we have a very good chance of winning the one day title. So we really worked on the one day tournament. We did our fielding, batting, the way how you go and get about in the power play. And especially our bowling tactics, opening bowling with a spinner. I gave all the youngsters a chance and I hardly bowled in the competition. The Cricket Committee was having a go at me for not bowling. But in the final when Suranga Lakmal went in for some extra runs in the first over I just took the ball and ended up with three wickets. And that changed the game. So we use to attack in different ways. I think the opposition did not realise what we were capable of. We had so many all rounders that in the final XI only the wicket keeper could not bowl.

Question: How was the morale of the team going into the final especially after losing the three day match outright to the same opposition.

Answer: Just because you lose a game especially the youngsters they can really fall down. So my job was to keep them in the good frame of mind, keep the morale up and motivate them, tell them to forget about the game, forget about the past and to believe in yourself, believe in the talent and just go and enjoy. Think it is just another game and do not put added pressure on themselves. In my 15 years of career I have played so many finals and for these youngsters the final could add more pressure. As the captain I had to motivate the players, keeping them at the best, also to believe in themselves because they are very talented cricketers.

Question: Do you regret for not being able to play for Sri Lanka ?

Answer: I am really disappointed. Looking at the players who have played for Sri Lanka who have not done even quarter of what I have done. I regret not playing for Sri Lanka. At that time in my case there were a lot of senior players who were there for so many years playing. And also the selectors did not make any big changes. But in the last five to six years I have seen players just coming in just get a hundred and they are in the national squad. It's all in the past and I can't think about it and regret and not go ahead. I took a good decision to go to England and play minor county cricket. I have been there for 10 years. In my case I took a good decision to play there. But I am disappointed and regret that I could not play for Sri Lanka.

Question: You have been batting at different positions in the recent past having started the career as a specialist opening batsman ?

Answer: We have so many talented youngsters and so I give them the first preference. I always ask them where would you like to bat. They would get the first preference where they like to bat. In that XI if there is a vacant position that is the place that I will be batting. We use to field two fast bowlers but in that final we played three fast bowlers and so I had to open. I have been shifting in the batting order to accommodate the youngsters and to give first preference for them. In the final it was a big game and I had to take up the responsibility and do the needful.

Question: Is there one particular game that changed the whole situation ?

Answer: The NCC game where Murali came and played for us which was a very important for both teams. Also the Bloomfield game where all the Sri Lankan players represented the two teams. Those two teams really made us think that we are a very good team that can beat any fancied side.

Question: Many teams were badly affected with the absence of the star players who were on national duty ?

Answer: We have only one national player in the great Muttiah Muralitharan. He does not play a lot of matches for us. We have not had an 'A' team tour for a while. It is just that we missed Ashan Priyanjan for two games. We also rested a couple of fast bowlers because we knew that we were already in the final. In the match against Chilaw Marians SC we rested our fast bowlers so that they will be fit for the final on Tuesday.

Question: Now that you have won the one day tournament the team would like to extend the dominance into the three day game as well ?

Answer: I can't see that we not doing it. We have a great team and it is just that, that weekend the youngsters were totally focused on the final rather that the three day game. They were really taken up with the final. But I believe the players will do well in the remaining matches.

Question: You had the chance of playing against Chilaw Marians SC in the Premier League tournament just two days before the limited overs final ?

Answer: To be honest it was good for both sides to see which kind of players and how would they go through their game. Actually we studied their game more rather than they did. We batted twice and we saw their bowlers really well. Though we lost we learnt a lot from their bowlers and how to get about.

Question: Your team made a bad start in the final and what was going in your mind at that stage ?

Answer: We have a lot of all rounders and we had nine batters on that day. So we knew even if we lose two three quick wickets we can carry on. And of course Jeewan Mendis played a brilliant knock. He played almost the 50 overs. And the others played around him. We knew if we can get pass 200 runs with our bowling we can contain them.

Question: A word about the coaching staff ?

Answer: We train everyday. Our coach Lanka de Silva who use to play with us and he knows each and everybody's game as well. He was playing with us until last year. He is very close and is like just one of the players. There is no distance between the coach and the players. Everybody can talk to him like a friend. This was a key factor.

Question: Can you name some of your talented players in the side ?

Answer: We have about five players. First I can say Ashan Priyanjan. He is a very talented player. Then of course Gihan Rupasinghe who has played Twenty20 cricket. Isuru Udana who has played Twenty20 cricket and Pushpakumara is on the way for the series in India. Jeewan Mendis has been knocking at the door. I am sure he will get a chance. Suranga Lakmal has gone on tours. Sachithra Serasinghe has been doing well and he won the Best Batsman's award.

Question: The Premier League and the Premier limited overs tournaments are conducted concurrently. What is your opinion ?

Answer: I do not mind them doing it. The thing is that they are trying to do what England are doing. But the weather here is so different. I can tell about English weather because I have been there playing cricket for 10 years.

I really feel sad for our fast bowlers specially on these tracks. We have dead tracks and to bowl on that and play a one day in the middle I don't agree. And also the time of playing this season. October, November it rains all the time. They should plan and the tournament committee should sit and talk about that.

The semifinals were washed out because of rain. And not only that the previous games and the three day games we hardly had a good season. I think they are trying to accommodate the Inter Provincial tournament.

Question: What are your suggestions to develop the game here ?

Answer: I think they should play four day cricket. Three day cricket is not enough. People try to go and get quick runs because it is only three days. We need to win and so we declare. Either club cricket or provincial cricket they need to combine and make a good four day tournament. They need to have the one day tournament separately. The fast bowlers who are in the squads train early morning and they have to come here and train again. I know it is hard work but for the fast bowlers it is bit strenuous on them.