Shame! Shame!! Shame!!!

Seri Lanka cricket hit rock bottom when they suffered a humiliating innings and 81-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in the First Test concluded at Centurion yesterday. It was one of the most pathetic defeats that Sri Lanka has ever suffered in its 30-year-old Test history, surrendering meekly inside two and a half days.

Sri Lanka has been looking for a Test win since beating Pakistan by seven wickets in the Second Test of their 2009 July home series. Since then, Sri Lanka is having a lean run without a win during the past two and a half years.

Since the second Test against Pakistan in July 2009, Sri Lanka has played 14 Tests and lost six of them while managing to draw the balance eight. Since beating Pakistan in that home series two-nil (one drawn) 30 months ago, Sri Lanka has suffered four successive series defeats and are well set to lose the current three-match series in South Africa too.

Since July 2009, Sri Lanka has lost back to back series to India (0-2 - one drawn), England (0-1 - two drawn), Australia (1-0 - two drawn) and Pakistan (0-1 - two drawn). Sri Lanka's last series against Pakistan in the UAE was a disaster. They not only lost the three-Test series, but were thrashed in the fine-match one day international series 1-4 and also lost the solitary Twenty20 International.

Unless there will be a great fight back, the current away series in South Africa could push Sri Lanka cricket from bad to worse. It is high time that all parties concerned make a collective effort to resurrect Sri Lanka cricket!