Resting Mahela and Lasith counterproductive

The resting of skipper Mahela Jayawardene and slinging ace Lasith Malinga for the Second Twenty20 was inexplicable. We squandered the opportunity by basically gifting a victory to Pakistan which enabled the visitors to square the two match series.

When Sri Lanka won the first game at the Sooriyawewa Stadium, everyone expected Sri Lanka to give continuity to that advantage and go hard at the Pakistanis and further dent their confidence by beating them in the second game.

But all cricket fans and supporters were flabbergasted when it was announced that Jayawardene and Malinga were to be rested as the Sri Lankans wanted to give every other player vying for place in the World Twenty20 squad a chance to stake a claim.

Winning is the thing

While we do not contest the spirit in which this decision was made, the Lankans should by now know that winning is not the thing, it is the only thing. Had the Lankans rubbed the Pakistanis in the dust at the Sooriyawewa Stadium, it sure would have dented their confidence and left them in a quandary.

Some of their players who are playing in the Twenty20 squad have been included in the 50-over format and a second defeat would sure have upset them psychologically.

We are not trying to preach to the Lankan think tanks how to go about their job. But we have a duty by the public to reflect the frustrations of the large number of spectators who filled the Sooriyawewa Stadium and the public at large.

They came in their numbers, flag waving, with their Papare bands shouting themselves hoarse, encouraging the team to go for victory and to watch the draw cards Jayawardene and Malinga performing.

Crucial game

They could not believe when it was known that Jayawardene and nMalinga were being rested. The consensus was that the two should have played in this crucial game and if they required rest, should have skipped the first two 50 over games.

'What rest can you get by skipping twenty20 games when the duration of play is only three hours', they ask. When the Lankans had the Pakistanis on the ropes after beating them and having them groggy to use boxing parlance, the Lankans should have played their best men and gone for the knockout.

But now the Pakistanis have got their wind back and will come at us like lions waiting to devour us in the Five one-day internationals. If that happens it will be a dent on our 50 over reputation and bad for the game.

Questioning

Also when Sri Lankans were chasing 123 for victory,the sending in of Nuwan Kulasekera as one drop came in for questioning. Now we don't see anything wrong in that Kulasekera is no mug with the bat.

He has the ability to use the long handle and he showed it in Australia in the Commonwealth Bank Triangular series. When he was sent in, it was with a purpose.

But he let the side down by wrong shot selection and being out for a duck. With his experience he should have known that cricket requires judicious thinking and not rash play.

Good on fast bowlers

The idea by the International Cricket Council Cricket Committee to allow fast bowlers two bouncers per over in limited overs cricket was good news for the fast bowlers. Its most welcome.

Even in Test cricket a fast bowler is allowed only one bouncer per over. Fast bowlers running and letting fly has been one of the most exciting sights to behold.

In the good old days when there were no restrictions on fast bowlers sending down the short pitched deliveries, we also saw batsmen who were fearless playing the hook shot to perfection with the ball ending in the stands nine times out of ten.

And in the good old days there were fast bowlers who were fast bowlers in the true sense of the word. Today's fast bowlers are pedestrian compared to those former greats.

Yet what do we see today? Players dressed in armour as for battle and with helmets ducking and running away from the bouncer.

Batsmen of the calibre of West Indian Viv Richards who never wore a helmet and Australia's Ian Chappell were two of the finest hookers of bouncers.

One thing that was anathema to fast bowlers was to see a batsman hitting for six a bouncer. It is time that batsmen stood up and belted the bouncer. A way of heaping humiliation on a fast bowler is to hit his bouncer for six. He will never bounce again!

Pietersen an example - England must be proud of their South African born cricketer and former captain Kevin Pietersen. The devastating right handed mauler of bowlers must be admired for deciding to quit all forms of limited overs international cricket.

In an era when cricketers are more aligned to monetary gain, some even turning their backs on the country that gave them all the facilities and encouragement to make a name in cricket, Pietersen's courage is an example and must be applauded.

Pietersen has said that with the intensity of the international schedule and the increasing demands on my body, approaching 32, I think it is the right time to step aside and let the next generation of players come through to gain experience for the ICC World Cup in 2015.

But the England Cricket Board did not take kindly to Pietersen's decision saying it was disappointed by timing of the batsman's decision less than four months before England defend the ICC World Cup Twenty20 title.

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