Headache remains, but pillows change
Dimuth Karunaratne perhaps played a crucial role when he took over the captaincy to create the bond once was missing
Better performance than what he showed in Bangladesh and England may have resulted in a different script for Kusal, with selectors sticking with him for much longer. But he had to pay the price for collective failure (of selectors, of coaches, of players and of those governing the sport from its Maitland Place headquarters). He is now being sacked.
After the national selectors decided to let go of several seniors from white-ball cricket including skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, the burden of captaining the sinking ship that is Sri Lankan cricket, rested on Kusal’s shoulders. He had never been the captain before and to gift the position to him was like jumping into a volcano.
It was a heavy burden but he took it up and wanted his charges to play a ‘fearless’ brand of cricket, the only way he thought the game could be revived. The team failed to deliver. So did the captain.
Taking the team out of this rut needs careful planning. Instead, the name of the game has been chopping and changing, expecting quick results, rather than laying a solid foundation. If quick turnover of players and captains wasn’t enough, coaches, too, are hired and fired regularly.
Kusal is the latest victim of such haphazard team selection. There were nine captains leading the ODI team in the four years since 2017 and Shanaka will be the tenth.
The selection of a captain is an important, critical decision as its impact and influence is felt across all layers of the team. Lack of foresight invites risk and disaster. A well-thought-out process could lead to progress and success.
Sri Lanka had a clear succession plan for captains since Arjuna Ranatunga but, after Angelo Mathews, no clear leader has surfaced. Leading a side doesn’t mean marshaling the team onto the field alone, setting field placing or making bowling changes.
A leader is expected to set direction to players, develop team strategies and plans in consultation with team management, motivate his charges, maintain discipline on and off the field, set standards in practice and maintain a healthy relationship within the team.
Will Dasun Shanaka change the team's misfortunes or will he worsen them?
This is why Ashantha de Mel brought in Dimuth Karunaratne as ODI skipper replacing Lasith Malinga. Malinga was a legend in his own right and may have ticked all the boxes. But his relationship with some of the seniors was unhealthy which is why De Mel brought in Dimuth. He was shaping up well and, with a few years of international cricket left in him, he would have been the man to lead the team through stormy times. But new selectors rocked the boat by axing him, not only from the captaincy, but from the team.
The argument that Dimuth cannot find a place in the playing XI is without substance as Sri Lanka desperately needs an anchor–a player who could play the role of Asanka Gurusinha or Kumar Sangakkara. Since taking over the captaincy, Dimuth has an average of 37 and his strike rate of 74 is closer to that of Kumar (78) and Mahela Jayawardene (78), two of the best middle-order batsmen Sri Lanka have produced. But for the selectors and the team’s think-tank, Dimuth is a misfit.
Dimuth could have been an option for the India series as he has experience leading the side and would have been at ease in the role. The team also wouldn’t have had a lot of trouble adjusting to his style as they were led by him until a few months ago. But the baton has now been passed onto Shanaka, who was made T20 captain in January, removed in May, and given it back in July. However, his shelf life could be as short as those of his predecessors if the team continues to struggle. His performance in England was a key reason for his elevation to captaincy. Not that he performed exceptionally well with the bat–but he was the best out of the worst, having scored totals of 65 and 98 runs respectively in T20s and ODIs.
Shanaka has shown to be a good leader, having led Sri Lanka to a series win over Pakistan and also leading Dambulla Viikings in the first edition of the Lanka Premier League. But circumstances have changed as the recent contract dispute between the players and the Board has deeply divided the team. Some players accused Shanaka of betraying the team by agreeing to sign the tour contract when others were demanding annual contracts.
“There’s loss of trust and further division within,” said a team insider. “I am not sure whether he will get the same support he had earlier now.”
Sri Lanka cricket is going through a very rough phase as they have failed to build on the years of dominance they had enjoyed in world cricket. A sound and capable leader is what they need and the musical chairs should be done away with.