Commonwealth Bank Tri series begins tomorrow:

Cricketing cowboys enter the rodeo with lassos

Australia, Sri Lanka and India to shoot it out:

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from Australia

The cricketing cowboys from Australia, Sri Lanka and India will don coloured clothing and enter the floodlit rodeo, attempting to lasso their opponents and hopefully carry away the Commonwealth Bank Trophy when the tri series is called ‘PLAY’ tomorrow in Melbourne, Australia.

Not only the cricketers, the umpires too will don colored clothing, with white balls being used and the sight screens going into mourning, as it were, dressed up in black as if to indicate this is not cricket.

There is no denying the fact that spectators don’t mind paying to watch this ‘come or go Chicago’ style of cricket, sickened by five-day Test cricket which, alas, does not provide the needed fireworks and excitement.

Bereft of ideas

This is because the International Cricket Council is bereft of ideas to add the zip into Test cricket which will make the turnstiles creaking and bring back the spectators.

When this style of cricket is being played, the administrators and the cricketers will be advised to say a silent prayer for Kerry Packer, the business tycoon and owner of Channel Nine for giving birth to this style of game.

It was Packer who made cricket, especially the night game, worthy of being played which brought in the mega dollars and made the event a better one to play.

And administrators decided that this was what they need to focus and concentrate on so that the coffers will be filled..

Twenty20 bash

Taking the cue from this game, some smart Alec introduced the Twenty20 bash.

And so today, this is the game for money making which has even forced some cricketers to quit Test cricket and concentrate playing the Twenty20 format.

The tri series in Australia which was a big draw when it was played regularly in the past, was suddenly knocked down. But apparently saner counsel has prevailed and from tomorrow when Australia play India in Melbourne fans will see its resumption.

Australia who are on a roll under the astute captaincy of Michael Clarke will want to add to their success when they take on India who had a wretched tour losing the Test series 4-nil.

Different ball game

But 50 over cricket is a different ball game and the Indians who are World Champions in this bash, having won the 2011 World Cup, will want to save face by winning the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.

The three teams - Australia, India and Sri Lanka have rung the changes and picked players who are ideal and competent for this game and when this month long tournament is called ‘play’, it will be cricket luv’erly one-day cricket.

In this tournament three of the best captains will be on show in Michael Clarke of Australia, Mahela Jayawadena of Sri Lanka and Mahendra Singh Dhoni of India.

All are clever captains with strategic minds, proven track records and not one will let slip an opening to deliver the knockout punch.

Clarke from the time he took over from Ricky Ponting has proved an able skipper. His victories and big scoring where centuries, double centuries and triple centuries come naturally to him will be the cynosure of all eyes. Apparently Ponting’s brilliance has rubbed off on Clarke.

Mahela Jayawardena one of Sri Lanka’s best captains is back in the saddle after a well earned rest and must have recharged his batteries and is now like a tiger, hungry for success.

Jayawardena has taken on the responsibility when Sri Lanka’s cricket is at a low ebb in all forms of the game. After being stuffed in three of the five one-day series games to South Africa, the Lankans rallied to win the next two games.

Step on the gas

So Jayawardena is expected to step on the gas from here on and bring about a resurgence provided his team mates give of their best and support him. His leadership skills are such that he can well rally his team.

Jayawardena is best remembered for his belligerent century in 2011 World Cup final. But that majestic knock went to waste when the Lankans, for no explicable reason, gifted that final to India.

Mahinder Singh Dhoni was over the moon when he led India to the World Cup last year after 28 years. But since then his captaincy glow has dimmed and is now struggling to retain it. Success here could see him regaining the confidence that he was bubbling with not too long ago.

Dhoni has the flair for this style of game. He showed his capabilities with a blistering knock in the World Cup final. He must continue with those heroics.

The teams -

Australia - Michael Clarke (captain), Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Peter Forrest, Ryan Harris, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Brett Lee, Mitchell Marsh, Clint McKay, Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Starc, Mathew Wade and David Warner.

Sri Lanka - Mahela Jayawardena (captain), Angelo Mathews, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Chanaka Welegedera, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Dhammika Prasad, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekera and Sachithra Senanayake.

India - Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandan Ashwin, Rahul Shama, Uesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Parthiv Patel.