Some untold stories of Thilan Samaraweera
It was not so long ago that rock solid middle order batsman Thilan Samaraweera was a pivotal component in the Lankan batting order. In spite of having the services of the legendary Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, there were many occasions that the entire weight of the Lankan cricket fortunes rested on the gutty right hander. Nevertheless some stories have it on twists and turns – they never let them just meander. On March 5 2013, he thought he had enough of the haughty Lankan selectors when he was left out the first Test against Bangladesh which was scheduled begin in Galle.
He not only retired from International cricket, he also packed his bags travelled Down Under, where he settled in Melbourne. Now he is in South Melbourne helping the Australian under 19 team. Thilak de Silva had the good fortune of coming across the former Anandian captain at his plush residence in the outskirts of a Melbourne suburb. Thilan began with his Pakistan travail, where the entire Lankan cricket had a near brush with death, when a pack of armed terrorists began to fire upon Lankan coach, in 2009. “I was in the team bus seated by a window. The terrorists were lying in ambush in single file to the left of the on-coming bus. The shot was fired at point blank range, but I was shot on the thigh. Yet it was very traumatizing, my wife was very dejected.
“Still it was will that kept me pick-up the pieces and continued my cricket. However, still loud sound makes me very anxious”. Samaraweera said.
Then, Samaraweera began to the burning subject of Lankan cricket and the plight that it is experiencing now. He feels that there were not quick fixes for this issue. He feels the situation would the same for the next five years at least. Thilan insists that the following policies should give a lot of thought to the following if Lankans wish to steady cricketing fortunes. The voting system of the SLC AGM should be changes. At present there are far too many of them in the fray. At the same time the voters also must devoid of petty politics and personal agendas.
Among the structural changes a lot of emphasis should be placed on Junior and under 19 cricket and the ‘A’ team should be the feeding point to Test cricket. Since in Tests the voids that were created by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were difficult fill. At the same time Thilan views that there are far too many are coming in and out of the squads. He feelings the present system is like a ‘daycare system’, where players just come and go. The ideal is a squad of about 45 players in the upper limit he feels. At the same time because of the fault of the prevailing system there are too many players who are playing in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia and there some quality cricket in their midst.
Thilan emphasises the A team squad should be pruned down to 25 and the players should consist of a good mix. They should be players who could walk into the national team within three years. He also feels that under 15, the players should be encouraged to play on matting wickets so that their back foot play would be strengthened He says that the slow pace and bounce offered on the matting wickets gives the youngsters time to play on the back foot and also to adjust their strokes according to the bounce. Then from that point they could gradually get them adopted to play on the turf. Then coming back to his own career Samaraweera said that he was shocked that at one juncture he and Mahela Jayawardene were accused of throwing a game against Pakistan in 2011.
It was showed on a state run television. He said that there were three SLC officials who were responsible for this slander. But, he reiterated that under no circumstances, Mahela or he threw a match against any country and says that he does not believe in match fixing of any nature.
Samaraweera continued “After I was overlooked for two overseas tours and also one in Sri Lanka I decided to retire from Test cricket. It was a difficult decision to make but it had to be done. However when I met the then SLC secretary and told me about decision and requested to make a press statement about my retirement he ridiculed me also in front of the National selectors and asked me to hold my own press conference. Naturally I was shocked. After serving for so long I did not expect that from the cricket authority”. In spite of all that still Thilan says that if there is request by the authority to help Sri Lanka cricket in any way he would be more than happy to be of any assistance.