Our Australian Tour and what the future plans should be

Rev. Bro Nimal Gurusinghe FSC

All our cricket fans had very high hopes before our team flew to Australia. First of all, we expected our National Team to win the Test Series. There were some valid reasons for us to carry all before us in this three Test match series. The Australian side was not a formidable team. It did not have many experienced players. Sri Lanka, on the other hand had a very strong outfit with some veterans and experienced players.

The result, however, was disappointing and our team had to eat humble pie at the hands of a mediocre Kangaroo side. It proves that our lads are not familiar with fast bouncing pitches. As well as this, our batsmen find it very difficult to cope with swing bowling. This problem began when we started playing Test cricket.

Our Cricket Board members must open their eyes and address this important issue. If those in authority do not take the trouble to solve the problem, then our cricketers will have a hard time winning a Test match on alien soil. It might happen once in a a blue moon, but not regularly. It is the responsibility of our Cricket Board to think seriously about the issue and help our cricketers overcome this difficulty.

With regard to the ODIS, our players played well and managed to win two out of the four matches. Unfortunately, one was abandoned due to rain. Even though we could not win the series our team nevertheless, proved it class in the Fifty Overs Game. If not for the the rain during the fourth match we could have own the series.

When it came to the two T20 games our cricketers showed their superiority and won both matches. In the first one the team were victorious with a very comfortable margin. In the second match our players managed to scrape through after a nail-biting finish.

All that is now over. What are the lessons we must learn from the Australian tour? First of all, our players should be trained to play on fast, bouncy pitches. Secondly, they should be given the opportunity to face swing bowling.

In order for that to happen we must import the particular soil and grass from other countries and prepare some of our pitches accordingly. Only then will our batsmen and bowlers be able to practise on such pitches accordingly before they leave the island to play a series abroad.

We must now form a fairly young side and allow them to play together for some time. Sri Lanka would then have a team who could deliver the goods in any part of the world. If you try to depend on ‘old horses’ all the time, then our future will be very bleak. Now that Angelow Matthews in going to take over the reins of captaincy, he should be given a free hand to handle the side. If our veterans are going to interfere with his responsibility, it will be a disaster for Sri Lanka Cricket.

However, I am sure that our seniors know this policy and will give a free hand to our new skipper as he leads the team. Needless to say, their words of advice will always be most welcome.

We must seriously think of replacements for Kumara Sanggakkara, Mahela Jayawardane and Tilakeratne Dilshan. They are excellent players and have done yeoman service for Sri Lanka Cricket. But we cannot depend on them all the time. Very soon they will have to ‘hang up their boots'.

There are plenty of very talented youngsters who, if given a chance, will show their colours. Young players need encouragement and exposure. We cannot expect miracles from them immediately. If some techniques and skills are satisfactory then, having represented the country for some time, they will become great, international stars.