Cricket stumped by Politics and Dirty Tricks
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Even as this essay goes to press, Sri Lanka is basking in the glory of an improbable win against Zimbabwe who has had his fill of controversy and just returned to the ICC fold! On day one the ardent Sri Lankan fan had serious misgivings of our tour party when Zimbabwe went on a leather hurt amassing a formidable total. The impression was that our bowlers were toiling on a batting wicket. Then came the Matthews double century, a stunning reply which allowed the Sri Lankans to get back into the game. A sterling bowling display on a wearing pitch seemed to have taken the gas out of the Zimbabweans who made a measly second innings total to give Sri Lanka an easy victory!
Some redemption for the Chief Selector who dared to drop Kusal Janith after the heroics of yesteryear that all but sealed his place in every Sri Lankan side. But the powers that be seemed to think otherwise, drawing a lot of ire from many Sri Lankan fans. De Mel will be a relieved man if the team returns with a successful tour even though Zimbabwe is not the team to beat, if you want to make a statement.
The greater concern appears to be the perennial battle for power that is waged from the citadels of political dynasties that treat cricket as the kingdom to conquer. A newspaper wag quipped that cricket is the biggest corporate going, surprised that new presidential appointments had not taken cricket into account; at least not yet. But the tranches of dollar millions that are due to come makes it the place to be and it would not require rocket science to dislodge the current administration and supplant a chosen mandarin to take charge of the honey-pot that cricket commands and brings. The much heralded TV rights is the golden rainbow that all the titans in that universe eye with greed. We all know how past deeds cast their grim silhouettes and there is no reason why future deals should be different! Mahinda Wijesinghe in his expert column makes a scathing reference to what lurks in the shadows and away from the glare of discerning cricket followers.
Already there is much speculation as to what dirty tricks will be resorted to in order to change the guard at the palace! New alliances are slowly moving into place it is rumoured and while our cricket stars clamour for a restructured domestic league that will nurture top talent for the future, the focus is more on the stakes of high office. Old Hathu is negotiating a stunning settlement that does not appear to faze the sentinels of the Cricket Board; whoever offered such a contract need to have his head examined without even a peek at the Rama tapes! And so the merry-go-round goes on where a straight bat is no more in vogue; hand eye coordination has taken its place! So long as you know when the wicket will take spin, timing will be key and reverse sweeps will compensate for the inability to read a wrong ’un! In this business, politics is the art of the possible and strange bedfellows will make up for any bookies that have changed hands; one must remember that a declaration is not the end of the game!