Sri Lanka's cricket disaster in the desert

The Sri Lanka cricketers' tour of the UAE could be best described as DISASTROUS. It's better to face the fact than paper over the cracks. The record book will show that after losing Test series to England and Australia, they made it a hat-trick of losses by losing to Pakistan. They also lost the one-day series to England and Australia and also made it a hat-trick of one day losses being beaten by Pakistan in the UAE.

These defeats are unacceptable, considering that in the recent past we were challenging for the top rating in these two forms of the game. With these defeats the status of our once admired and reputation and a top notch team has come crashing down the lofty pedestal we occupied.

A team in disarray will certainly be easy prey. And the manner in which the team has been performing proves that the team is in shambles.

There was hardly even a semblance of the team playing and pulling together.

Dilshan cops the flak

And when a team capitulates, the blame falls fairly and squarely on the captain and in this instance it was Tillakaratne Dilshan who has to cope with all the flak. As for us while Dilshan will need to take responsibility, the members of the team were really more at fault.

It was simply that the team was not performing to ability and as one unit and backing the captain. To the discerning it was apparent that there was a lot of individual play.

We would not want to further sermonize, but suffice to say that unless and until we begin to perform, put whatever differences that exist within the team and begin to once again play as a team, to support the captain, uphold the spirit of the game and honour country, we are afraid we will be wallowing in cricketing mud. In this aspect chairman of selectors and former successful captain of Sri Lanka cricket Duleep Mendis has a vital hand to play in resurrecting the game and bringing it back to its former glory. He must speak to the frustrated members, if any and tell them there is no one bigger than the game and country.

Aussie win a thriller

The Test series between Australia and South Africa was a fitting preclude before going on to comment on the encounters, a pertinent question to ask is: what is the big deal in playing a Two-Test series? When each team wins a Test, how can you gauge the better team? And what is inexplicable is that while two of the best teams in the game today play a Two-Test series, the South Africans have consented to play a Three-Test series against a sadly weak Sri Lanka team. Where's the logic?

Unbelievable victory

After the First Test ended in an unbelievable victory for the home team, where Australia was shot out for 47 after gaining a first innings lead of 188 and South Africa knocking off the required runs for victory, the second Test was a nail biter.

Thanks to the veterans in the team-Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson coming good at the right time and with 18 year-old Patrick Cummings showing his amazing all round ability on debut 6 for 74 and a dream 13, although it was not a big score, it was enough to give the Aussies a series levelling memorable victory.

Assey of hockey fame passes away

It was sad to hear about the demise of former national, St. Benedict's College and Old Bens hockey coach Brian St. John Assey.

As a coach of the curved wand game, Assey was par excellence when he was on song and there was no other coach who could even come near to sniffing distance of him. A teacher at the green, white and green school, in addition to churning out brilliant students, he turned out equally brilliant hockey players, who while at school sported national colours.

If my memory serves me right, I think it was in 1964 that he gave to the Sri Lanka team six players from SBC - the Fernando brothers - Stanley, Homer and Subash - Assisi Natar, Anthony McIntyre and Batcho Selvaraj.

Hockey brothers

Another set of brothers he produced and who played for Sri Lanka were the Rayen brothers Lovellyn, Joyce and CP. There are many other players whose names are too numerous to mention. Johnny Martin kept goal for Sri Lanka. While Assey churned out superb stickers who could have held their own against the best in the world, another who helped him in his endeavours was Rev. Bro. Mathias who was the master-in-charge of hockey who instilled the discipline in the players.

Assey in addition to his coaching, also played in the colours of the Old Bens. It was in the 1960s that hockey was at its best in the country. Those were the years when the Old Bens reigned winning every trophy on offer. The Directors of the school were Rev. Bros. Alban and Athanasius.

That was also the era when the school had two other coaches Albert Fernando and Ram Suntheralingam who produced champion football and basketball teams regularly. These three coaches were the envy of other coaches. May the turf lie lightly on him.

Basil D Oliveira no more

It was also sad to read about the death of former England all round cricketer Basil D Oliveira. The all rounder died after a long battle with Parkinson disease.

D Oliveira created big controversy in 1968 when after being included in the England team to South Africa, the tour had to be aborted because South Africa refused to accept him because he was a coloured South African. He earned his place in the England team after excelling for Worcestershire as an all rounder.

The aborting of that tour also led to the isolation of South Africa from the sporting world because of their dirty and inhuman apartheid policies.

One thing that is still vivid in my memory even after 43 years after that incident was the wonderful Editorial written by my former Editor of the then DAILY MIRROR , fearless and widely read Reggie Michael who aptly wrote in his vibrant column MIRRORSCOPE with a caption THE FOLLY OF DROPPING DOLLY,which was a best seller.

My colleague who still remembers that MIRRORSCOPE is M.J.M.ZORRO Zarook who has a penchant for covering and memorialising some of the most sensational scoops.

[email protected]