Lankans in Perth yearning for success

This is my seventh visit to Australia and third to Perth and I must say that it’s a stimulating place to be in, having covered Test cricket and one-day tournaments since 1986/87.

At the time of writing, Sri Lanka is set to play two Commonwealth Bank series games against India and Australia. Here in Perth there is a lot of excitement and anticipation among the Lankans residing here.

They are all agog ready with the lion flags and placards to cheer the cricketers and inspire them to re-enact the scene when Sri Lanka beat the Aussies in Twenty20 games played when they last visited.

There is no gather in here of Sri Lankans where the topic is not cricket as this is the event they have been waiting for. Among my old St. Benedict’s friends and former cricketing colleagues, many a yarn is also spun some claiming that they even took hat-tricks and some others claiming how they lofted many a six! Yes, there are sixes galore!! The main thing is the spirit that pervades any Sri Lankan gathering — resolute in their support for the Lankan team.

Rabid cricket fan

Accompanying me on this tour is a dear pal of mine Upula “kukula” Fernando an Attorney-at-Law who is also a rabid cricket fan and who is enjoying every moment of his stay.

Upula and I were guests of at the 64th Independence Day celebrations at the Melville Council Hall on February 5th and met with two former Bens, Ken Jansen and my colleague at the ‘Times of Ceylon’ in the 1960s Russell Raymond who sported green, white and green colours at football.

Readying everything and praying for a Sri Lankan victory are Mahesh, Nagina Herath and daughters Natasha and Oshare, Tissa and Visaka Herath, Dimuthu Senaratne and daughters Senali and Rishni. Also joining us will be another Attorney-at-Law Senaka Senaratne and wife Dr. Shivanthi and Mohan Jayasekera, a former Thomian cricketer and brother of Ajit the energetic Chief Executive of Sri Lanka Cricket.

This was the same crowd, I recall, who were all there at the WACA cheering wildly when Sri Lanka beat the Aussies in the Twenty20s. They are confident that the Lankans will repeat their stellar this time too, against all odds.

Geoff Marsh in the news

Former Australian opening batsman who played in a World Cup winning team and who later turned coach including being Sri Lankan coach is big news here. His being dumped prematurely as Sri Lanka coach is being hotly debated.

After tours to desert country and South Africa, Sri Lanka Cricket told Marsh enough is enough and replaced him with South African Graham Ford.

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene in an interview with ‘The West Australian’ newspaper here and in a story headlined – SKIPPER IN THE DARK ON MARSH AXING – is reported to have said that the sacking of coach Geoff Marsh was unfortunate and that the team had been heading in the right direction under the former Australian opener.

Jayawardene laments

Speaking further Jayawardene had lamented Marsh’s departure saying the former coach’s termination had been finalized while players had been flying from South Africa to Colombo.

‘What happened to Geoff in everyone’s eyes is very unfortunate, but we have to move on. The time we spent with Geoff was fantastic.

‘I think he’s got a lot of experience and the chats we had about moving on as a team and trying to improve certain areas were fantastic and I think we were heading in that direction.

Need help

‘Our objective is to try and work on those ethics. We need all the help we can get’, said Jayawardene who is leading Sri Lanka for the second time after leading the side from 2006 to 2009. In 2007 Jayawardene took the country to the World Cup final in the Caribbean.

In the same article, Jayawardene has said that he intended to lead the national team for only one year while it rebuilt itself. Jayawardene has also said that he feels that vice-captain Angelo Mathews has clearly the potential to being a future skipper. ‘Once he is fully fit, he’ll probably be the leading candidate who we’re thinking of grooming for it. But at the same time we need to have a few more leaders in the team’, concluded Jayawardene.

Two Gilchrists in Aussie team

Australian cricket is now in transition, after their champions in Glen McGrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Mathew Hayden, Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist retired after taking their cricket to the pinnacle.

What is always admirable in Australian cricket is that Cricket Australia and their selectors dare and have the courage to be different when picking teams to do duty for them.

In all forms of the game they are blooding talented youngsters who are grabbing the opportunities and performing, much to the delight of those who matter.

Capabilities

Under Michael Clarke they are showing what they are capable of by winning a Test series in Sri Lanka, sharing a Test series with South Arica and then thrashing the day lights out of the Indians. Dashing left-handed opener David Warner, after his heroics against India, was tagged the new Adam Gilchrist. And if that was not enough they have another Gilchrist in Mathew Wade. Wade another belligerent batsman is also a left hander and making his debut for Australia has immediately announced his arrival by excelling against the Indians in the Twenty20s and in the first Commonwealth Bank tri series.

Devastate any attack

Warner and Wade can demoralize and devastate any attack. They have built their careers on the belief that the ball is there to be hit and not to be caressed and treated with too much respect. The current tri-series should see Warner and Wade unwinding and as the tournament progresses and if they continue in this form should set alight every venue where they light their fireworks with the bat. In this scenario one feels for wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin. Haddin was given all the opportunities to cement his place. But he has not lived up to expectations and the Aussie selectors who will show no mercy, tossed in Wade who has clutched the opportunity and performed and it would not be cricket if he were to be dropped.

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