Duleep Mendis back in the saddle

Sri Lanka’s second captain in Test cricket, Duleep Mendis is set to take strike again as Chairman, Sri Lanka cricket selection committee. He takes over from another former national captain Aravinda de Silva.

Mendis has batted on this wicket several times previously and knows the vagaries of the wicket, the wizards and, not to forget, the wicked. He should have no difficulty in facing any ‘doosras’ that are bowled at him and his co-selectors.

Others who will bat with Mendis are - Ranith Madurasinghe, Don Anurasiri, Brendon Kuruppu and Chaminda Mendis. The foursome have also held similar positions previously and will be at home. Mendis’ last assignment with Sri Lanka Cricket was as Chief Executive. He performed that job with great aplomb and was forced to quit for no fault of his.

No representative caps

While customarily appointing former national caps as selectors Sri Lanka Cricket seems to have the knack to also appoint one with no representative honours to boast of.

That apart, the first strike that Mendis and his team will be called to take at the wicket will be in the appointment of a captain and team for the one-day and Test series in England.

Kumar Sangakkara who resigned as captain of the one-day teams has said he is available to captain the Test team against England and later when Australia tour here.

It would be interesting to watch how the selectors will deal with the offer made by Sangakkara. To let him continue or pick a replacement will be the selectors dilemma.

Terrific job

To the credit of former New South Wales cricketer and Sri Lanka cricket coach Trevor Bayliss, it must be said that he did a terrific job with the cricketers by showing them the way to the final of the 2011 World Cup.

That we lost should not take away anything from the respect that Bayliss has earned.

With only the experience of playing Sheffield Shield cricket in kangaroo land, and not being fortunate or having the potential to sport his country‘s baggy green cap, he manoeuvred our cricketers with dexterity and good understanding during his four-year reign. He bonded well too.

Feats country could be proud of

Lest we forget, it was during his custodianship that Sri Lanka entered the 2009 twenty20 final in England and is now number three in Test and one-day cricket ratings. Those are achievements that the country could be proud of.

But after quitting as coach, he played a stroke that is synonymous with the ugly side of cricket - the reverse stroke. He is on record of having said that the cricketers must be allowed to focus on the game and not be distracted by politics. This was uncalled for as our cricketers are made of sterner stuff.

Completely different

Need we tell Bayliss that politics is a completely different game that is played by a completely different set of players. And it is fair to say that while we all live in a world of politics our cricketers simply focussed on the game and did not pander to any pressures real or imaginary.

They were least concerned about extraneous matters. If Bayliss is referring obliquely to the SLC or to the Selectors, it can be said in all fairness that as far as our cricketers are concerned they have been provided with their every want by Sri Lanka Cricket headed by D.S.de Silva and it is for them to keep winning matches and trophies. And as far as the Selectors were concerned they were not in any way buffeted by any political winds.

To imply that the cricketers were distracted by the politics in cricket, is to find excuses for the debacle that was enacted that night in Mumbai under lights where selection misteps, athough done in good faith, made us gift the final to India.

No courage

That Bayliss did not have the courage or the guts to say what he said when he was coach does not speak well of him. It is said that being wise after the event is the refuge of the wayward.

An outstanding cricketer who proudly sported the baggy green cap and played for Australia in the 1996 World Cup final won by Sri Lanka in Lahore Stuart Law has been appointed interim coach of cricket for the tour of England beginning in early May.

Law was understudy to Bayliss and would have felt a bit uneasy with his record to serve under Bayliss who had experience of playing only Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales.

As second in command, Law earned the trust and respect from the Sri Lanka cricketers and as he continues to bat as coach, he can be assured of support from all quarters in his endeavor to take the game to the glory days of old . Law is a welcome replacement

New captain

Law will soon have a new captain and Selection Committee to work with. He will do well to cultivate a good rapport with them and focus on the cricketer and the game and taking it to the ‘promised land’ to use a bibilical term.

Aravinda de Silva, the former chairman of selectors is on record of having said that the Lankan cricketers lacked the aggro of the Aussies who fight to the end and they must follow the Aussies style.

A surprise statement

Now that was a surprise statement coming from de Silva. Having Aussie coach Trevor Bayliss it is inexplicable why he did not insist on Bayliss to show and instil the Aussies style on the Lankan cricketers. The Aussies have an altogether different aggressive style of play. In addition to going for the kill from ball one, they have mastered the skill of sledging to a nicety to upset opponents which they term ‘mental disintegration’.

The Lankans are no angels or saints. They too indulge in sledging. But the language they use cannot be understood by their opponents and no damage is done.

(erodrigopulle.Gmail.com)