Lankans have the promise to out do the Brits

It would have been galling for the Sri Lankan cricketers to return after finishing last in the Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh which also featured Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. But then, on the brighter side, it poses a challenge for a team that has the potential as we take on England when the cricketers winged their way to Bangladesh after the Commonwealth Bank Tri series in Australia which they lost to Australia 2-1, one expected them to take it from there, better their show in Australia and leave their mark in the Asia Cup.

After losing the first two games in the Commonwealth Bank series, they raised their game, thanks to the inspiring leadership of Mahela Jayawardene.

And had lady luck smiled even a bit on the Sri Lankans, there was a good chance that the Lankans would have have won the trophy. But the Lady was otherwise preoccupied!

Inexplicable and unacceptable

Then on the tour of Bangladesh,they lost to India, Pakistan and then Bangladesh to finish last. To say the least this was inexplicable and unacceptable. No excuses however good can be adduced.

Anyway that sad chapter in our game has been closed. It was,nonetheless, carnival cricket and now the cricketers would do well to get that type of game out of their system and set their sights on the Englishmen who are here for a Two-Test series.

Firstly the cricketers can’t whine that they have had a surfeit of cricket, playing as they did in the tri series in Australia and then the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. This is part and parcel of being in the professional circuit, where one gets paid for the toil and sweat. So, no excuses!

Established game

Beginning on March 26 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, will be what the game of cricket is all about – Test cricket or the established game – and it is in this game that the Sri Lankan cricketers must excel and show their colours.

The Brits led by South African born Andrew Strauss, are in Sri Lanka after three-nil Test thrashing by Pakistan in desert country where their invincible bubble burst.

It is now up to the Lankans and to avenge the defeat we suffered in England on our last tour there under the leadership of Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Brits smarting

The Brits who for the first time became the world’s best in Test cricket, are smarting after their demolishing by Pakistan and the lions will be barring their fangs hungry to devour the Lankans.

But if the Lankans believe in themselves and with the conditions and the wickets more suitable for the Lankan style of play, and with a captain in the class of Mahela Jayawardene who is yards ahead of his British counterpart Andrew Strauss, there is promise that the Lankans should get through the Two Tests with relative ease. But what is inexplicable is that the two countries had agreed to play only Two Tests. What is the big deal in playing Two Tests? If each team wins one Test, where or what’s the purpose. The Cricket boards could have done better.

Swann’s poor behaviour

That the Brits are smarting after their humiliation in desert country was evident by the poor behaviour of their off spinner Graeme Swann in the game against the SLC President’s X1 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

There was a reported incident where local batsman Dilruwan Perera had nudged a catch to skipper Strauss. The batsman did not walk because he was not sure whether the catch was taken cleanly. Quite rightly.

The umpires too, were unsighted. The Brits vented their spleens saying that the batsman should have walked and accused him of cheating if not unsportsman like behaviour. Now see whose talking?!

The Brits will do well to shed their holier than thou

attitude. The days when a batsman ‘walked’ was long gone and the Brits can’t adduce ignorance on that score.

Gentleman’s game no more

True, cricket was called the gentleman’s game. But those great and admirable days are long gone after the mega dollars came flooding into the game, the players’ pockets and the coffers of the Cricket Board.

Playing in the spirit that cricket was originally intended too is also long gone.

But thankfully playing to the rules is still on. With bigger mega dollars likely to keep flooding in, it will not be long before the players ‘play’ the rules in their thirst for money.

Of the incident, Swann is supposed to have said as reported in another newspaper:. I wanted to kill the batsman, because he was cheating and stood right next to me with a smirk on his face’.

This reported statement has neither been denied nor corrected. By saying so,Swann was displaying his own unsportsman like ways.

Highly inflammable

The statement is highly inflammable. But Sri Lankans are the host and we should rise above the issue and not take it on Swann and treat it as a indiscretion on his part.

The English Cricket Board would sure have asked Swann to explain had Sri Lanka Cricket voiced their concerns. Let’s allow this incident to glide over Swan Lake! .

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