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| Sunday, 31 March 2002 |
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Gold in the desert by Srian Obeyesekere
To Sharjah it will be for a buoyed Sri Lankan outfit that will jet it across in the coming week. The land of the desert, its once barren sands under the scorching sun, that has today come alive as a gathering venue for cricket most exhilarating. And what must in the luxury of its day-night cricket generate as it always does is the heat of a three-cornered contest featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand for the Sharjah Cup. For Sanath Jayasuriya's Sri Lankans, who have got used to winning ways more often than not at both levels of the game, continuing the vein in the one-day game over in Sharjah will be the onus as never before. More so in view of the fact that Pakistan wrested the cup from Jayasuriya's charges last time around. But despite that disadvantage, what must have the Lankans on a high is that its one-day record has been on song since. The team has won three home tournaments last year, the first involving India and New Zealand, and a three-match series each against the West Indies and Zimbabwe while defeating Pakistan in a triangular final in bringing home the `Khaleej Times' Trophy last October. The mood in the Lankan camp was best echoed by coach, Dav Whatmore last week when he saw the team's chances of winning as absolutely certain. Skipper, Sanath Jayasuriya, on the other hand was quietly optimistic saying he would go match by match in a tournament where both Pakistan and New Zealand could not be underrated. Manager, Chandra Schaffter, who was reinstalled after been sidelined for nearly an year too while airing confidence, best sounded the stiff competition ahead when he said," I don't see it as an easy tour." He reasoned New Zealand were no pushovers while seeing Pakistan as a more than formidable team when he said, " New Zealand beat Australia in several matches (in the triangular earlier this year also featuring South Africa), while Pakistan is quite a different proposition in the one-day game. They give more than their best in Sharjah". In saying so the manager themed on the team not getting carried away by the 8-wicket triumph over Pakistan in Pakistan in the Asian Test Championship final. "Pakistan will no doubt be strengthened by the recall of veteran Wasim Akram along with Saqlain Mushtaq", he added. Schaffter saw the Lankan squad as a balanced one with the type of talent capable of delivering the goods. A balance championed by the one-day artistry of Sanath Jayasuriya. A sensation in instant cricket with the bat that has taken his team to success after success helped along by his wily leg spin bowling as much as leading from the front. Indeed, his batting influence has continued to tilt the scales as richly as when he stormed the game with his new dimension of hitting over the top in the first 15 overs. If not as sansationally as then for captaincy demands in curbing his strokeplay. But it has had its advantages in the run making trade when occupation of the crease has paid dividends as Jayasuriya continues to experience the joy of filling the trophy cupboard at the game's headquarters - the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL). Winning ways as much divided by small ups and downs the cricketers have had to take in the same stride. Like finding no VIP welcomes when returning home after losing which must be why Jayasuriya decided to depart from tradition in coming through the common lounge returning from Pakistan to star bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan and Vice Captain, Marvan Atapattu having no reception at the airport or official transport on returning from India after receiving the coveted CEAT `Best Bowler' and `Best Batsman' awards respectively last week. Awards our stars keep brining home as the country basks in their efforts on the field in a sport which is bringing in currency by the billions for its attraction. An attraction, what with the game's commercialism, which is what it is today, thanks to our cricketers. And it will be another pot of gold our cricketers will strive to bring home from Sharjah as a 16-member squad takes wing on April 4. Included is fiery right arm pace bowler, Dilhara Fernando whose return after quite a long injury lay off must give his skipper satisfaction at having one of his best pacemen back in the fold along with Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa and new find Charitha Buddhika Fernando. And still more satisfying that today there is a surplus of pacies from which to draw unlike 3 decades ago when Lankan cricket toiled on the shoulders of a solitary hero like Ashantha de Mel or Rumesh Ratnayake. The blooding of right armer, Pulasthi Gooneratne who got the nod of the selectors after a fine performance for Sri Lanka 'A' against Kenya recently, and the emergence of Charitha Buddhika notwithstanding the fact some worthy contenders could not find a place speaks for the advancement in that department. Dimension The re-entry of the exciting wicket-keeper batsman, Romesh Kaluwitharana makes interesting reading along with the inform Kumar Sangakkara in the toss up for who is going to stand behind the wickets. While `little kalu' in the eyes of a marvelling Tony Greig found his Test place go to Sangakkara who walked in from the 'A' team, an injury lay off added to his woes as Sangakkara, who had been found wanting in the one-dayers, showed improvement in his wicket-keeping if not batting. But Sangakkara's rise in stature as a Test batsman underscored by a record breaking double century against Pakistan has seen his name being toyed by coach Whatmore as a possible opening partner to Jayasuriya. But what must certainly have enhanced `Kalu's' chances is a brilliant 77 he made in taking his club, Colts CC to victory over the more fancied Nondescript Cricket Club (NCC) in the semi final of the Super League Tournament match last week. Soon after a long injury lay off but underlining he is still good. Form that should see another addition to Whatmore's stated options of toying with a partner for the skipper. Only last Thursday the Australian born Lankan coach hinted Sangakkara was also under consideration for the job as Whatmore looks to oiling the batting machinery with the new dimension. A job for which Avishka Gunawardene, a hard hitting left hander with a near carbon copy of Jayasuriya in physique and strokeplay, filled quite equitably but lost his place quite unexplicably. While the re-emergence of Kaluwitharana with a bang must make it a toss up, the indications are that it would mean the sedate Atapattu would bat at No.3 as the three countries look to mint the gold in the desert. The squad - S.Jayasuriya (Capt.), M.Atapattu (V.Capt.), M.Jayawardene, K.Sangakkara, R.Kaluwitharana, R.Arnold, C.Vaas, M.Muralitharan, U.Chandana, K.Dharmasena, N.Zoysa, D.Fernando, C.B.Fernando, P.Gunaratne. |
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