Appoint coaches as selectors

An often asked question in cricketing circles is this: Why does not the Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage appoint the coaches with the Sri Lanka cricket team as selectors? Now this is a pertinent question and the Minister of Sport will lose nothing if he ponders a bit on this question and arrives at a decision.

The coaches in the Sri Lanka team are - Geoff Marsh, Head coach; Marvan Atapattu, Batting coach; Ruwan Kalpage, Fielding coach; and Bowling coaches Champaka Ramanayake and Mario Villavarayen.

Marsh, although a foreigner, is a vital cog in the wheel and should be considered, as we should do away with parochial considerations. Then there is Atapattu, Kalpage, Ramanayake and Villavarayen are all experts in their respective fields and have the stature and credentials to be considered for something new, if the Sports Minister would give this new format a go.

Best qualified

Cricket connoisseurs reckon that the coaches are best qualified when it comes to picking an eleven, because they know the capabilities of the men they will want to pick to do battle. And they can be expected to pick the best and nothing but the best eleven to represent the country.

What is happening now is that the coaches recommend to the selectors the men they think are suitable to play and the selectors taking in to consideration the input by the coaches pick the final squads to play or to tour.

But if the Sports Minister who now has the right to appoint selectors give the above question a thought and does the right thing to appoint the coaches as selectors, he will certainly not be faulted and it could be for the betterment of the players and the game.

Not finding fault

In saying this we are certainly not finding fault with the selectors. But with countries tossing in new formats to improve the game we need to move with the times. Our cricket is in dire straights and we need the collective wisdom of those who matter.

When Bruce Yardley was coach of the Sri Lanka team, one thing that he lamented most was that as coach he had no power to recommend or select a player who he thought was ideal for the team considering the situation.

We hope that the same fate will not befall new Head Coach Marsh. He will always be concerned with selections, because with his wide experience of playing and coaching, he will have a lot to contribute for the improvement of our cricketing standards that have dropped alarmingly after Test defeats to England and Australia. A coach must not be isolated.

How the Minister of Sport will go on this pertinent question will be interesting to watch. We must dare and get off the beaten track and move to the next level.

Pakistan drop Umar Akmal

Pakistan cricket has at some time or the other been in unnecessary turmoil. They have over the years churned out some cricketers who can hold their best in the world with any cricketer and be even the best team in world cricket. But sadly a lot of misunderstanding and intrigue has gone to stunt their game. The Pakistan Cricket Board has not been able to keep a coach going for long. This is a cancer that is affecting their cricket and its growth. After so many local and foreign coaches handling their cricket, they seemed to have settled down nicely well under former fast bowler Waqar Younus as coach.

But then hey presto! and Younus suddenly throws in the towel, citing medical reasons and requests that he be relieved of his duties as coach. But there is more to it than meets the eye in Younus citing personal reasons for his reluctance to coach. Sad but that is how coaches come and go in Pakistan cricket. When and how and who will dare and take their game to a good pitch and help their players show their great talent and be a world beating side will be interesting to watch.

But as it stands, nothing good will come out and their cricketers and cricket will continue to wallow in the mud, created by themselves.

PCB shopping

Now while the PCB keeps shopping for a foreign coach, Chief Selector and former opening batsman Moshin Khan has been appointed an interim coach of the team that will front up to Sri Lanka in Tests and a limited over series in Sharjah. Even with Khan's appointment all does not seem well with the squad picked. With Pakistan cricket in disarray, the Lankans must strike when the iron is hot and if they were not to win, but continue their losing streak it will be even bigger than a calamity.

The Pakistanis have picked a well balanced side who they think are the best to beat the Sri Lankans. They have dumped the promising hard hitting, quick scoring right hander Umar Akmal saying that his form with the bat has been poor.

Good cricketers

All good cricketers go through a bad patch and it has been no different with Akmal. Akmal will fight his way back and the sooner he does it, will be good for him and his country's cricket. Scanning through the squad picked by Pakistan to Sharjah, it is nice to see the return of off-spinning all rounder Shoaib Malik. Malik husband of Indian tennis queen Sania Misra, was spotted as a more than ordinary allrounder. But sadly has not lived up to that reputation.

If the selectors keep faith in him and give him a go against Sri Lanka, he is sure to come good. He is a tantalizing off spinner who can turn the ball viciously and on a spinning wicket could be dangerous. A hard hitting and quick scoring batsman, he could mincemeat any attack when in the mood. We hope he plays.

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