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A rigourous year ahead
The Sri Lankan cricket team was shoved, jostled and knocked off their feet at the tail end of 2005. It was an unexpected ending because India was not considered the type of opposition capable of doing that. It was a rude shock and the alarm bells have tolled reminding the Sri Lankans that it is time to wake-up. The entire set-up must take those two defeats (ODI’s and Tests) as a very serious warning.

Sri Lankan cricketers have in the past and at present displayed tremendous natural talent in the batting, spin bowling and fielding departments. Remember the West Indians of old? They were overflowing with batting, fast bowling and fielding talent. With little or no coaching, minimum facilities to develop, they produced world beaters.

The world accepted it and admired the performers. They then began to methodically fortify their own strengths and progress through solid infrastructure. Today the West Indians have slipped to the bottom of the barrel. No more are they the feared cricket giants.

Sri Lanka reached an unexpected peak by winning the 1996 World Cup. When the tournament began the odds were something like 60 – 1 for India to win. But, they beat the odds and all the opposition that confronted them. That team had a combination of players blessed with varying degrees of talent. It was a combination of experience and youth, with all the experienced at the peak of their powers and playing to their best potential. It was sufficient to become the best in a fortnight of cricket.

Success does breed success and more talent began to emerge but now that does not seem to be happening. Similar to what the West Indians have been going through since the turn of the century. Sri Lanka is nowhere as bad as that, but they have to watch out. As such the year 2006 will be a very crucial one.

The National team will continue to be tested. Since they got ‘test’ status never have they had such an arduous playing schedule? When they finish it would be eleven months of cricket, travel and more cricket. It is what they love doing, it is also their profession, so they must enjoy it.

Most must be made of every experience. One player who made most of the Indian experience was Tilekaratne Dilshan. He struggled earlier on in the one dayers, and then played a couple of good innings and that gave him the courage and confidence to go on. He finished the test series with two identical scores of 65. Both were knocks played under pressure and the benefits of that experience was demonstrated a few days later when Dilshan’s century helped Bloomfield C.C. chase a target and win the inter-club 50 over final at the S.S.C. grounds.

Other players fighting to establish themselves who impressed in India were Dilhara Fernando, Upul Tharanga, Malinga Bandara and Lasith Malinga. It is important not to overuse leg spinner Bandara and paceman Malinga in one day games. They have a lot to learn yet in becoming attacking, wicket taking bowlers. My opinion is they should have been better off playing in the three day domestic competition rather than to go to New Zealand and Australia. It is the lack of choice that has forced the selectors to pick them.

In the eleven months mentioned, Sri Lanka will tour five countries and they have two series at home too. Truly a career enhancing experience. They will be pitted against seven of the ten ‘test’ nations in either or both forms of the game. For the sake of Sri Lankan cricket let us hope that the players who have this opportunity will grab it with both hands. However, 2006 will be a rigourous year!

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