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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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Building strong 'A' side will give muscle to main team - Duleep Mendis by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE "I expect to be given a free hand where I can concentrate on cricket rather than other areas", said Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka Cricket's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who echoed that he wants to be hard hitting as in his hey day when he wielded a bat to achieve maximum results guiding the destinies of the country's cricket. "It is a very demanding job and I hope I can have all the time to concentrate on this key area as to how to improve the game, where it has gone wrong, what is lacking, the harnessing of latent talent and how to feed the national team," explained Mendis (51) who from a distinguished national career as player, captain, manager, chairman of selectors, coach, manager - cricket development and now to be the country's most high profile administrative cricket job relinquished by Anura Tennekoon recently. Following are excerpts of the exclusive interview: (Q): Assuming your new job in directing the country's cricket, importantly how do you look at harnessing the young talent to the mainstream ? (A): "I must say that because of that, the board is paying so much attention to arranging the under-19, 20, 14, 17 and 'A' squads to ensure that young talent comes up. Our concern is centred a lot on that area. We want to maximise the young talent coming out towards the national drive." (Q): To what extent has this finecombing drive been successful ? (A): "I think that Sri Lanka is on the right track because we have so many tours on the 2004 calendar. Particularly the 'A' team which is the stepping stone to the main team, is having a heavy calendar of tours. This is one of the best things that can happen for our cricket because it is the 'A' team which is the foundation or the next step to giving muscle to the main." (Q): Is it correct to say that hitherto there weren't many 'A' XI tours ? (A): "Yes there weren't. The emphasis on building the 'A' team is as never before because it is important to have a strong feed to the main team." (Q): Would you say that not having a viable 'A' team was a setback in feeding the main team in the past ? (A): "Yes, the need is to have equally good players when the seniors reach retiring age. Some of the seniors might go out after the next World Cup in 2007. So we are working on that to develop equally good talent like in other leading cricket playing countries. I wish to emphasise that this talent grooming drive at the grass roots level basically revolves around the under-19 team." (Q): Can you elaborate ? (A): "Because the under 19 age is where schoolboys and their parents think about the future. It is the deciding line of age for schoolboys as to what they would do and which way they are going. Whether to continue or seek employment. I have seen in the past by experience where there have been so many cricketers who thought otherwise. Cricketers who were so much centred on the game but who half way down the line have fallen on the wayside which has been a retarding factor." (Q): Have you therefore looked at nipping it in the bud where the country does not lose such latent talent ? (A): "Yes, this is why we (Sri Lanka Cricket) are taking the game where youngsters can look at it as a career like in other countries to becoming professionals. Today, we have created the incentives right down the line from club cricket to encouraging provincial tournaments." (Q): Has it borne fruit ? (A): "Not right now. In about 2 years time it should pay dividends. As I said earlier we are on the right track where the 'A' team is one sector in the concentrated drive to feed the Sri Lanka team. In short the "A' team is the crux. Everything has to go into building that component and towards that end the necessary exposure is now coming with both inbound and outbound exchanges." (Q): Is it correct that this year there are more 'A' tours than the main team ? (A): "Yes, that itself is a reflection of the drive." (Q): But despite the development drive would you agree that there are many disgruntled cricketers who feel that they have not got the break they deserve where necessary exposure could have turned their careers on ? (A): "Maybe, but I don't want to comment on the selection area which is out of my ambit. Of course, I must say that the re-starting of the provincial tournament has seen about the best 75 of regional talent selected." (Q): So is it correct to say that the grooming machinery is working smoothly ? (A): Yes, the fast bowling coaches, district coaches, provincial coaches upto the cricketers have taken the initiative. Here, I must take the opportunity to note that the national players were 100 per cent committed in the conducting of the provincial tournament and I wish to thank them for taking the tournament seriously." (Q): How would consider your new role in cricket of starting a new innings in having to address the administrative functions at the highest level ? (A): It is a very demanding job and I would like to be in a position where I would be free to concentrate on cricket alone rather than other things where looking after the game must supersede everything else." (Q): Is it that Tennekoon did not have a free hand ? (A): "Maybe he (Tennekoon) and the CEO before him, Dhammika Ranatunga were given a free hand. What I feel is for example you should not be in a position where you have to think about late comers to office, but how to improve the country's cricket where we lack so many things where I have to get the stage right for the national team and other teams to concentrate 100 per cent on cricket and cricket alone. For instance you need to have the feeder right so that you can fill the gaps. If there are weak links you can't plug it. That is why I stress the need for total freedom to address the game. Australia and South Africa are on the right track because their main objective is cricket. So I think we've fallen on the right track." (Q): What about areas such as televising rights where the dollars lie to the board's kitty ? (A): "Fresh bids will be called for after the forthcoming home Australian series." (Q): Have you all taken a cue from other leading countries like Australia in this development drive ? (A): In some way yes. We had the academy running for 7 months and again from March we intend having it going. It is a good thing for the cricketers. (Q): Would you say that everything is in place. When Sanath Jayasuriya relinquished the captaincy he stressed the point that he was doing so because he felt the need to groom a captain from then for the next 2007 World Cup. Has that been done and have you all been addressing the importance of looking at 2007 from now where it is felt that the best was not done for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa despite Sri Lanka entering the semi-finals ? (A): Yes, I think the captaincy issue has been addressed and Marvan Atapattu earmarked for the job. I think the selectors are looking at the necessary ground work to grooming and team building." (Q). In conclusion, you have filled a hot seat where results have to be delivered. Do you think that you would be able to impart the same drive into your new job which you packed with your bat and as a long time captain of the Sri Lanka team in the defining years of a journey our cricket has reached today ? (A): "I've been doing this for sometime. The added advantage is if one has played the game which would come useful knowing cricket first hand." |
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