Lost in a cricket masquerade
The Test team's captaincy slipped off from Dinesh Chandimal's (R) hands temperorily on to Dimuth Karunaratne's (L) shoulders - File pic
This song written and produced by singer, song writer, musician Leon Rusell way back in 1972, indeed, has a deep meaning. That is why dozens of other artistes also have recorded the same with passion and feeling. Why? The song delivers a message to mankind.
Translating these sentiments to a cricketing aura is not an easy task, but, right now in a Sri Lankan cricketing sense, it is very easy. Lankan cricket now is lost in a masquerade.
I was honestly shocked when I read the news on several seniors being axed from the Sri Lankan Test squad for the South African tour – one of the most difficult propositions in real cricketing terms. My humble question is: are these selector people believe that they could turn a new leaf in the game and convert this into a winning combination? Most of the past cricketers who also have played the game at the highest level doubt it very much.
One such cricketer came up with an interesting theory! Put two former Josephians as the captains of the two segments of the game, at least one selector would be assured of a free VIP parking at the 2019 World Cup.
Now that the threat of Chandimal is put to rest in reality; the task is easier. Now Dimuth Karunaratne is the Test captain, while his two other Josephian team mates and former ODI captains – Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera are in discussion along with incumbent ODI captain Lasith Malinga on how to untangle the conundrum of love letters on e-mail. The judge and the jury are once again the Sports Minister himself. Wonder who is using whom?
Now let us look at the bigger picture. By sending a set of rookies along with a man who is leading the side for the first time could be hara-kiri. Well, they got rid of Dinesh Chandimal and requested him to go back to his drawing board because he failed as a batsman and at the same time Sri Lanka lost to New Zealand and Australia badly. Well, then we are compelled to accept the ground reality.
Yet another past cricketer quipped: “Was it only Chandimal who is responsible for this state of affairs in Lankan cricket. Do they think by dropping Chandimal, Roshen Silva, Dilruwan Perera and Sadeera Samarawickrema is the answer to all Sri Lanka cricket’s ills? To add to that, Chief selector Asantha de Mel has gone on record saying that he will not hesitate to drop more non-performers.
However, those who are answerable have to probe why Sri Lanka Cricket has been nose-diving since 2015. Are the players at fault? Is the bevy of foreign and local coaches, who are supposed to be pocketing hefty salaries and enjoying perks, doing their jobs? Do those standing on the pedestal — elected or otherwise — care a damn about the plight of Lankan Cricket or are they there just to suck out the remaining juice out of our game. Then the governing body, Sri Lanka Cricket, set up a multimillion dollar ‘Brain Centre’ – I feel right now they are just sitting on it.
We also agree that Minister Fernando has understood the gravity of the prevailing situation and has affected some regulatory measures like conducting an forensic audit on the finances at SLC. Like so he is building some other fences that could the change of the course of the history of cricket in Sri Lanka like bringing in a bill in parliament to change the SLC constitution. These could well be game changes. Yet, for now the game is in a definite unpalatable soup.
One could argue that the West Indies went through a similar crisis that lasted for almost two decades. But, remember the West Indies are an assembly of different countries with their own tournaments and politics. They got together to play as one because the white sahib wanted it to be so. But, Sri Lanka is one tiny cricket crazy island which possesses its own style of cricket that is inimitable; but, it seems to be very fragile. Unlike other countries’ cricket, Sri Lanka’s cricket thrived in Colombo and grew up to be a force to be reckoned with within a radius of about 50 kilometres. Now have we tinkered with the balance of this cricketing entity by growing too big for its boots, without a proper plan of development and direction?
At the same time, in the past four years, how many captains have Sri Lanka cricket had? Once a captain is appointed, it is automatic that people begin to flock around him and he builds his own conclave. So, what happened? It creates divisions: There are now a Chandimal faction, a Mathews faction, a Malinga faction, a Thisara Perera faction and a Suranga Lakmal faction. Now De Mel and company has planted a seed for a Karunaratne faction.
If de Mel remembers right he should turn back pages and visualise what happened to the Warnapura/Mendis/Dias – the cornered tussle in 1982-83 which ended with a rebel tour of South Africa. Luckily we did manage to come out of that plight because the team possessed a host of seniors who could take up responsibility.
What is needed is to give the players a sense of security and proper direction and not multiplying captains and vice captains and players who keep walking in and out of the dressing room. Is it true…our cricket is lost in a masquerade that is full of muppets?