Promising fast bowling talent in the North

Sri Lanka Cricket has done right in embarking on a spot fast bowling talent quest and putting Sri Lanka’s best ever Test fast bowler Chaminda Vaas to lick the promising pacemen into shape and bring them to national reckoning.

As a first step five promising fast bowlers from Jaffna were brought to Colombo and reviewed by Vaas. He was impressed with the talent.Its clear that with a bit more polishing up they should stake claims.

The five fast men reviewed by Vaas were- Kamala Yopgeswaran Silogan(Kokuvil Hindu), Jayabalasingham Janajan (Mahajana), K.Kadijeepan,(Mahajana), M.Perera (Fatima,Mannar), Emmanuel Rekson ( St.Xavier’s).Former Sri Lanka right arm pace ace Ravindra Pushpakumara is the one fine tuning the promising bowlers in the North. ‘Pushy’ was the fastest in his time and along with bowling coach Chaminda Vass formed a duo of feared fast men.

Tormenting batsmen

When Vaas and Pushpakumara were tormenting batsmen, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis of Pakistan were instilling fear on opposing batmen and Vaas and Pushpakumara came to be tagged the Wasim/Waqar of Sri Lanka cricket.

Better late than never it is said, although Vaas was neglected for long, it was the New Zealanders who saw the potential in him and by signing him on as their assistant bowling coach that finally pushed SLC into taking Vaas on as the bowling coach.

In that short stint Vaas delivered the goods for New Zealand --after losing the First Test the fast bowlers hit back strongly to help them win the Second Test and square the series with some high class fast bowling.

It was after this that SLC awoke from their slumber and signed Vaas as the bowling coach. Before Vaas, Champaka Ramanayake was the bowling coach and to his credit it must be said he did a great job.

Frightening bowler

Pushpakumara was a frightening fast bowler during his time and SLC have done the right thing in putting him in charge of unearthing fast bowlers in the North. Reports have it that he is doing an excellent job and needs to be encouraged.

It is heartening to note that SLC is stressing on the need for fast bowlers. Fast bowlers are characters.

They are temperamental, are draw cards and crowds love to see them running in and delivering their thunderbolts at batsmen and the crowds revel in seeing batsmen being hit or ducking.

Fast bowlers hunt in pairs and from the time we remember there was Larwood and Voce, Trueman and Statham (England), Miller and Lindwall, Lillee and Thomson (Australia), Hall and Griffith (West Indies) and many others.

In later years the West Indies instilled fear into opposing teams by, not going in pairs but in foursomes. They had Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joes Garner, Colin Croft. As stand byes they had Keith Boyce, Malcolm Mashall and Wayne Daniel. All terrifying fast bowlers.

To the North and they produced some highly talented cricketers before the war. Names that come to mind are Nadarajasunderam, Kanaganayagam, Ganeshkumar, Benedict and Naguleswaran.With things back to normal in the North and with cricket coming alive there with the inter-school and big matches being played, it is hopedthat before long some of their cricketers will stake claims for national honours.

Selectors play it safe

The Sri Lankan Cricket Selectors have not raised any eye brows, or made critics have a swipe at them by picking a squad of old hands to try and bring the ICC Champions Trophy to the country.

Reasons for this is that Sri Lanka will be playing three tough teams in their group – England, Australia and New Zealand and need to win at least two to stay alive.

But it would have been good had they slotted in at least two youngsters to get the feel of things. When queried about off spinner Ajantha Mendis’ dropping, chief selector had said that Sachitra Senanayake was picked on his good form in the IPL.

Seniors should have been out

If Jayasuriya and his team were going on form in the IPL, then all our senior cricketers could not have found places, because their form has been, to say the least wretched.

That’s why we say, that selectors need not give reasons for their selections.

If form was the criterion, then the ‘A’ team to the Caribbean could have been a better pick for the ICC Champions Trophy in England.

The youngsters in the ‘A’ team are highly talented and they would have delivered in England and it would have been a good learning experience for them. It must be anathema and shame to some of our celebrated cricketers to find themselves warming the benches in India guilty of poor form. Jayasuriya has asked Sri Lanka Cricket to speak to the Board of Control for Cricket in India and get the ‘bench warmers’ back so that they could play competitive cricket and train with the squad that is England bound.

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