After completing our monthly marketing, my wife was at the paying queue in a Colombo mall when a 3-4 year-old kid in front got interested in her key-tag that carried a rubber cricketer with a floppy hat and a bat in his hand. To arouse his interest my wife explained to the boy, “This is Sanga.” The reply came promptly -- the kid retorted, “That is Malinga.” Only at that moment I recalled that it is Malinga who wears a floppy hat on the field and not Sanga.
That is how much cricket has infiltrated into the minds of Sri Lankans. Even a four-year-old kid knows that Malinga wears a floppy hat. This is primarily because cricket is the only game that has taken the tiny island nation to the world and made it equal to any other major cricket-playing nation.
Like most cricketing nations, Sri Lanka also has a hundred-year-long history in cricket, though it had been deprived of its right to Tests until the cricketing authorities finally approved the Lankan application in 1981.
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| A typical school cricket match in progress – action in the match between Gurukula MV Kelaniya and Zahira.
(Pic Amila Praboda) |
The jubilant Lankans reciprocated to this by winning the biggest cricket plum on offer – the World Cup - fifteen years later, in spite of a civil war which engulfed the nation almost at the same time that the country was awarded Test status. The war prevented many cricketing nations from visiting Sri Lanka and as a result Lanka and its cricketers lost many opportunities. So much so that the West Indies and Australia forfeited their world cup matches to be played in Sri Lanka in 1996.
Yes, one could always shout out that since winning the World Cup the Lankans really broke the shackles and became one of the real major forces in the game. But, when one really pries into the actual situation the only question that arises is: “Are we imploding?”
Cricket is a game that took its root in the country in a very systematic manner. A child plays his cricket from the under-twelve age group and moves up the system into the first eleven and then, not only he, but the rest of the cricketing fraternity knows where he belongs to. The very brilliant ones walk straight into national stardom, while the others go into the club system and then climb the rest of the steps.
The change that took place in the post-World Cup era was that the entire machinery, including the coaches, began to take note of the new enthusiasm and cricket spread to every nook and corner of the country. By then even in the World Cup winning team cricketers in the calibre of Sanath Jayasuriya and Pramodya Wickremasinghe had proved that the game held no barriers and if one was good enough he had the chance of making it to the top.
This system brought in players in quantity into the fray, but, the game in reality began to implode owing to the sudden weight that it had put on itself. Suddenly the game became a lucrative business to the people behind the curtain. At the same time the game in Sri Lanka, which had a two-day system, began to branch out rapidly with the 50-over form becoming very popular and the T-20 version also coming into the fray.
The result: The whole gamut of junior cricket in the country, especially where traditional cricket grew up, has become confused and lost direction. They have three forms of the game and they have mixed up their priorities.
Carton Bernadus, who heads SLCs School Cricket Development unit, was watching the whole scenario with concern. Taking into account the urgency of the matter at hand he fired a letter on Wednesday to all principals in cricket playing schools.
It read: “It has been observed and brought to our notice by certain schools, parents and distinguished past and present National Cricketers that schools play far too many matches during the season amounting to a minimum of 20 matches or more during the U 19 Cricket Season.
“On a calculated survey carried out by Sri Lanka Cricket over the last year we wish to place below in point form our study for your guidance.
• It is observed that the cricket season is far too lengthy due to matches been postponed at will by coaches most of the time due to inclement weather.
• Total number of matches keeps increasing every year, with no emphasis to quality cricket being played rather than quantity. This is with the view of players being given an opportunity to pile up runs or take wickets and win matches to qualify into the SLSCA-conducted limited over tournament.• With a great number of matches played during the season, it has resulted in mismanagement of players thereby resulting in player injury and fatigue.
• Players also do not have time for any skill development by the coaching staff and opportunities for the coach to conduct practice sessions during the week with players.
• The end result will be under prepared/substandard pitches.
• Another vital factor that needs to be addressed is that players do not have adequate time to prepare themselves for the GCE O/ Level Examinations.
“After an in-depth discussion with our National Grid of Coaches, Trainers and Physios, we have come to the conclusion that school authorities need to be informed to strike a balance by playing maximum matches of 15 in all including the “Big Match”. The season of matches should be spread over the 03rd term and 01st term and should be inclusive of the SLSCA conducted Tournament matches.
“With this initiative in mind and for Sri Lanka cricket to thrive with the Elite Test playing countries we would like to discuss this matter with one of your nominated competent cricket officials or the Chairman/Advisory Member of your Cricket Committee in your School.”
Another two very important items that will also come up for discussion is the dearth of fast bowlers coming through the system as the present coaches give more accent to spin, which thrives on sub-standard wickets and suspect bowling actions, another baby of the same monster.
Bernadus described the situation as very volatile. “We are almost looking at a blank wall. With so many matches played in a season, the coaches themselves do not have the time to coach their players, sometimes a school team plays as much as three two-day games a week. That may be one of the reasons that lesser affluent schools which play a fewer number of matches come out with quality fast bowlers like Nuwan Pradeep and Shaminda Eranga. This is the most appropriate time to assess the situation and try to go back to the basics and put the junior cricket train back on the proper track”.
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