Lankan selectors springs a surprise with the choice of Thisara Perera
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When Thisara Perera has done little justice to his abilities as a player, will he deliver as captain?
With seven wickets down and 75 runs to win, Sri Lanka only needed all to pick Pakistani skipper Sarfraz Ahmed’s wicket to send their last recognised batsman back to the pavilion and push for a semi-final spot in the Champion’s Trophy in June.
By this point, Sri Lanka were firmly in control. Then, atrocious fielding let them down. Thisara Perera dropped a sitter off Lasith Malinga at mid-on in the 39th over, shattering Sri Lanka’s semi-final hopes.
The costly blunder made Perera the subject of public ridicule. He was immediately dropped for the home series against Zimbabwe as the selectors ran out of patience with the stocky all-rounder. His commitment has often been questioned.
This week, Sri Lanka Cricket sprang a surprise. They appointed Perera as captain of the national 50-over and T20 sides for the Indian series, taking over from Upul Tharanga—just two series after the former opener was given the reins as full-time skipper.
Tharanga’s leadership was in question ever since he stepped in as stand-in skipper for Angelo Mathews. Former Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya was impressed with his ability and he was put in charge in July, when Mathews resigned. By December, however, Sri Lanka Cricket has had enough of his captaincy.
Tharanga has the worst record for a captain, losing three 5-0 whitewashes against South Africa, India and Pakistan. But under him, Sri Lanka won a tri-series in Zimbabwe and also beat a depleted Australian side in a 3-match T20 series.
With no succession plan in place, the selectors have now reposed their faith on Thisara Perera—a cricketer who has done little justice to his abilities. Perera was indeed a bright prospect when he made his debut in December 2009 but was never considered captaincy material even during his school career. A right-arm medium pacer with a consistent pace of 135kmph and a clean striker of the ball, Perera was a cricketer Sri Lanka had long needed to strengthen its lower order. Eight years on, his ODI record is underwhelming, to say the least. His performances will be closely monitored before the next series in Bangladesh.
However, SLC appears to have been impressed with Perera’s ‘aggressive’ captaincy when he led a group of young Sri Lankan players in a three-match T20 series after several first-choice players pulled out from traveling to Lahore, eight years after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team. Sri Lanka lost the series outright (3-0) but he still managed to wow the decision makers.
“We felt that he carried out his duties very effectively, and he was also a very aggressive captain,” said CEO Ashley de Silva at a press conference held this week. “So I think, when it comes to ODIs and T20s, that is what is required and the selectors have identified his capabilities.”
Perera may have been a threat to the opposition with the aggressive nature of his batting which has often been his greatest weakness. But some argue that he has been casual and irresponsible right through his international career. Out of the 194 internationals (6 Test, 125 ODI, 63 T20I), Perera has scored just eight half centuries and has taken three five-wicket hauls.
Perera is not even a regular in the national side. To appoint him as Sri Lanka skipper shows the depths of despair our once-formidable cricketing outfit has fallen into.
With the 2019 World Cup just two years away, Sri Lanka is not only trying to identify the best 15 players to represent her but a permanent skipper to lead the side. De Silva said they will appoint captains on a tour-by-tour basis in future, a controversial remark which came under heavy criticism from various quarters–including from Mahela Jayawardena, who asked how Sri Lankan cricket can achieve consistency and continuity with such a strategy.
Angelo Mathews was identified as heir apparent to lead the side after Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara hung up their boots, but was a given a raw deal, forcing him to give up the reins. With Chandika Hathurusingha expected to take over as head coach this month, Mathews will be the ideal leader Sri Lanka will want to take the team through to the World Cup.