Problem! A problem has no shape, but has its own dimensions. In the animal kingdom they have their own inbuilt parameters to cope and deal with the problems and the humans have to use their own ingenuity to create and solve their own kind of problems. That is the definite coherent difference between the two species and that is why the human walked that extra mile than the rest of the creatures that trod this earth from the time of the first appearance.
This argument of logic wrestled my mind during the past three weeks while I was giving ear to the three-prong explanation to the main problem in Lankan cricket explained by none other than the likes of Sidath Wettimuny, Chaminda Vaas and Michael Tissera. Their names alone are self-explanatory.
The three cricketing doyens had their own visions to the common problem, but the consensus is yet forthcoming.
If you let a problem be, like any other parasite, it begins to grow and at times it grows so intense that it begins to devour anything on its path – live and logical.
The problem at hand in cricket seems straightforward enough. The question is how we fill in the gap between the existing local cricket structure and the demands of the international call.
The answer is also simple – just get a very competitive lean and mean tournament going that would engage 60 best cricketers involved in a five-team test of ability.
That is the point where the crack begins. This means another tournament which would get the main focus in cricket in the country. This means we are bound to step out of anything what old Mother Hubbard has to offer.
When the white sahib sowed the seeds of cricket in this country he did so for his own entertainment during his pasttime but while doing so he also did let the locals get involved with the process to fill in the blanks.
Then schools like the Royal Academy and clubs like the Gymkhana Cricket Club (or Colombo Cricket Club) laid the initial roots. The sahibs till very late in the day kept their cricket amongst themselves at CCC, but the locals began theirs at the mostly ethnic based Singhalese Sports Club, The Burger Recreational Club, the Moors SC, the Tamil Union and the non-aligned Nondescript Cricket Club, the Colts Cricket Club and the Bloomfield Cricket Club. That is how the present club system came to be evolved through a hundred year journey.
In the early days of cricket it was mostly cricketers from Royal and S. Thomas’ who elevated onto the next grade. There would have been an isolated Sathasivam or a Stanley Jayasinghe who forced their way through into national reckoning, but representing Royal or S. Thomas’ in cricket was like you already had half the ticket at hand.
Then in the late fifties, a young right arm spinner by the name of Abu Fuard emerged from Wesley. He not only elevated to don the national cap, but also began to challenge the status quo, after his playing days.
An authoritarian on his own, he did not seek to be the most popular, but began to challenge the system and bring in reforms.
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| England skipper Keith Fletcher and Sri Lankan skipper Bandula Waranapura going out to toss in the inaugural test match played in
Colombo |
In that era, the schools cricket was played only in a few pockets. In Colombo it was mostly Royal, S. Thomas’ (though situated in the city suburb), St. Peter’s, St. Joseph’s, Ananda, Nalanda, Zahira and Wesley and St, Benedicts.
In Kandy it was mostly Trinity. St. Anthony’s and Dharmarajah while Down South it was Mahinda and Richmond. From Moratuwa it was Prince of Wales and St. Sebastian’s.
However, arguably it was the Fuard influence that opened the door for the cricketers from the latter mentioned schools to come out with unhindered merit. The national doors began to open for them.
Though played in the conclave, the school cricket competition was intense. It was argued at that era, even before Test status was granted to the island nation that the Lankan School cricket was on par with any Test playing nation.
In fact, in 1969 Anandian Mitra Wettimuny led a Sri Lanka schools team that included Bandula Warnapura, Duleep Mendis, Roy Dias and Ajit de Silva to India and this team won most of their games and made a huge impact. So much so this was the very outfit that made the nucleus of the first Lankan Test team
It must be mentioned in that era the number of schools that played cricket was limited and the matches were very competitive. Reason -- the schools were very focused, the cricketers got the right learning in their basics of the game. So the school system was the main feeder point to the national grid and the clubs helped the cricketers be in the game and continue at that level.
On the other hand even the club cricket was played with all the intensity and the quality of cricket was so good you could find thousands of spectators thronging at the venue for the match involving Bloomfield,-SSC, Colts or NCC.
It was in 1986 that the first crack in the Colombo dominance came. Dharmapala, an outstation side, that made the entry into the final line-up of schools at the last minute over S. Thomas’ in the Coca Cola Invitational Schools cricket Tournament took the Trophy home beating the three times Champions Ananda in the semi-finals and St. Peter’s in the final.
This was the era Test cricket gospel was spreading the country and this gave the impetus to the rest of the outstation brood to come into the fray. Then there was Kalutara MV beating Royal in a first round game and the Schools’ Cricket Association took over the reins in solidly and the game grew in the island rapidly in quantity but not in quality. Though school cricket grew in the country, the club cricket scene was a rather sleepy affair. Yet, even at that time knowing the limitations of the club cricket, the authorities introduced their inaugural first class tournament in the form of the Robert Senanayake Trophy, a three-day tournament in the 1970s. The participating teams were Mercantile, Government Services, Schools, Defense Services, the Rest, but no clubs were directly involved. Yet, this was organized by the BCCSL. However the entire top cricketing brood was involved in this tournament. However, the tournament did not take root.
Remember even in 1994 the sleepy BCCSL adorned little known marketer Ana Punchihewa as its President at the demise of the then President Gamini Dissanayake. Punchihewa’s knowledge in cricket was limited. But, what he knew was to market a product and set goals at it and achieve them. At the helm he sought the help of the best available cricketing brains in the country and set up a five-year plan. At this meeting they planned out how their outlook to international cricket would take shape, but, did not delve much into the local cricket structure and if it would sustain the pressures of international demand.
Plans were set, an international coach was brought into the system and a few months later Sri Lanka had won the World Cup.
Since then the Lankan cricket through its own ingenuity has sustained the balance though there has not been much progress in basic structures. Yet, how long is Sri Lanka going to maintain these levels.
As said before the lads from the popular schools still do get the better basics than their outstation brethren, but most of them today opt to do the CIMA or a marketing diploma rather than pursue a career in cricket. Then though the cricket has spread around the country the coaching levels have not filtered through professionally. According to knowledgeable sources, this is one of the main reasons for young fast bowlers who hit the mainstream cannot sustain themselves and survive for long at international level. Take for instance, Asantha de Mel and Chaminda Vaas who came through the old system as fast bowlers with good initial training, maintained their abilities and were good strike bowlers at the top of an innings. That may have the result of their early basics.
Going back to the main problem, now we have to initially ascertain where the feeder point has been throttled. First set that free.
Then see what has happened to the outstation clubs such as Kandy CC, Kurunegala CC, Matara CC and Galle CC (if the young cricketers are permitted to join that club owing to certain individuals) and encourage the young cricketers to join the home clubs. The SLC must give all encouragement and emoluments to those clubs to sustain and maintain cricketers there. Pay the cricketers in those areas for being professional and staying at the bases.
Then the people of the areas will get interested in cricket that is going on in those peripheries and the officials will also be interested in taking the game in the area notch up. Then it should make sure the National selectors monitor the progress of the lads who play outstation cricket and get them into the national squad.
Then the pushing of the Provincial concept would be a matter of just proposing, because the Lankan cricket would be geared to it.
Yet before that, we must address the problem at the initial feeder point that has been handed over to some school teachers who have taken it to a point of no return.
We created our own problems, so let us solve them.
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