Jayawardene’s judgement call should be lauded

Even after the Pakistani crickets have gone,the still asked

question is: Why did not Sri Lanka go for victory which would have given us the series two-nil in a Three Test series?

The refrain from armchair critics, some of whom have not held a bat straight is: When Pakistan set Sri Lanka 271 for victory in 71 overs we should have sent in Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews and pushed for victory and if unable, then close shop.!

But those who are more balanced respond: ‘Yes, if we chased and won, we would have done it. But what’s the big deal. Would we have got double trophies or double the prize money? No. Maybe we would have gone up the Test rankings. So what? That’s just numbers. Who’s worried!’

But what would have happened had we made a mad rush for victory and lost? Critics would have come out with guns blazing and said ‘hey this is a Test Match and Jayawardene & crew are confusing the Test with a 50/20 over game. What a shame! ‘And then they would have asked that Jayawardene be relived of the captaincy with immediate effect for betraying game and country!

This is not a game of chance or a Casinao. Its a Test match and Jayawardene made a calculated and responsible call. And we laud him for that.

No knowledge

Jayawardene’s critics are those who have no knowledge of the game, not handled a cricket ball, not aware as to how many ounces a ball weighs etc. But you talk to them and they will mouth as if they have played big time cricket. The most they would have played is, like we did during our kiddy days ‘book cricket’ where sixes we hit with ease!

At the media conference after the game Jayawardene hit hard at these critics saying that he is not playing the game to please or listen to armchair critics. And that bouncer would have hit the critics hard on the head and we hope got them to see reason in the future and not act silly.

Jayawardene said that all the hard work, the hours of training, the strategy planned would have all been in vain, had we made a mad rush for victory and squandered the hard won one-nil lead. Good thinking.

Murali retirement

Critics have also been baying that since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan we have not won a Test series in three years. And here we are on the verge of winning a Test series in Muralitharan’s absence and celebrating. Then why squander it?

We had the golden opportunity of chalking up our first ever Test victory during a tour of New Zealand in the early 1990s. Given a target the now manager of the Sri Lanka team Charith Senanayake gave us a rollicking start smashing a blazing 70 odd and putting us on the victory trail.

But what did we do the next day? Those who are blaming

Jayawardene for closing shop and not attempting a win , got funkitis the next day and even before thinking of opening shop closed it. This confused not only the New Zealand cricketers but left all Sri Lankans who were sensing a victory bemused. And look who’s talking now!

If my memory serves me right, that was also the Test where

Asanka Gurusinha became the first Sri Lankan batsman to score twin centuries. These are the critics who are looking for cheap publicity and saying that Sri Lanka lacks think tanks. Give us a break!

The pitches

Of the Three Test matches against Pakistan, one was won the next two drawn. The Test played at the Galle International Stadium ended in a decision, while the next two at the SSC and Palekelle were drawn. To the credit of the Galle Stadium curator former Sri Lanka off cutter Jayananda Warnaweera, it must be said that he has always endeavoured to produce a result oriented wicket.

When Australia, England and Pakistan played there, there were results. But in so doing, he ran into a bit of controversy over the wicket he produced for the Australia Sri Lanka Test that finished early.

Not unduly worried

But he was not unduly worried. He made the wicket to the best of his ability and for him preparing result oriented wickets was the bottom line. Now that is a sound approach, because spectators pay to savour a result. The wicket had something of everything in it and the batsmen and bowlers reveled on it. Drawn Tests will not bring in spectators. On the contrary they will want to skip the longer version of the game and watch only the limited over versions which is not what cricket is all about. So Warnaweera must be encouraged and given all the men and material he requires to continue to produce more result oriented wickets.

One sided

The wickets at the SSC was one sided with everything for the batsmen and nothing for the bowlers. The batsmen were on a roll with four batsmen scoring centuries.

The bowlers kept pegging away with nothing for them, which would have been heartbreaking. Over the years the SSC wicket has not produced many results. It is time that some life is put into the SSC wicket. The wicket at Palekelle looked a sporting one. There was something on it for the bowlers early on, but as the Test progressed it became batting friendly. For a new wicket, it was good.

Lee will be missed

Australia’s speed gun the menacing speedster Brett Lee will be missed. He decided to quit from all forms of the game and with it goes out one of the most colourful fast bowlers to play the game. Fast bowlers are the most exciting to watch. The manner in which they tear down running in to deliver was one of the most thrilling aspects to watch. Fast bowlers are temperamental as they come. While spectators enjoy and are thrilled to watch fast bowlers run in, deliver and knock batmen over, batsmen shake in the knees when they see the express men coming at them in all their fury.

Losing its appeal

Today the game is losing its appeal and glamour and with Lee one of the most graceful, colourful and frightening fast bowlers bowing out, the game is all the more poorer.

Lee was a fierce competitor on field, but off it was a very

likeable character. Lee is on record on having sent the second fastest ball on record at 99.9 miles per hour – 160.8 kph- at Napier in New Zealand, only surpassed by Pakistan’s ‘Rawalpndi Express Sohaib Akhtar who clocked the 100-mile barrier on two occasions.

Akhtar paid Lee a great tribute when he said:It was a sad day for international cricket because a bowler with express pace has retired, someone who was loved by fans around the world, and he will be missed. ‘Lee gave everything to cricket and was a true Australian, fierce and battle-hardened. He was always willing to bowl and willing to bowl fast and like all the fast bowlers had injuries, which is part and parcel of fast bowling’.

Brett Lee retirement is a sad day for the game.

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