Selectors strike gold with youngsters

Our congratulations to the Sri Lankan cricket selectors headed by Sanath Jayasuriya for taking the risk and playing a young side and winning the one and only Twenty20 against Bangladesh at the Pallekele Stadium on Sunday night.

Our congratulations in full measure go also to Sri Lanka's youngest Twenty20 Captain Dinesh Chandimal and his daring demons for reposing the confidence placed in them by the selectors and delivering a victory by 17 runs.

The new captain Dinesh Chandimal has shown promise of turning

out to being a good leader by setting an example worthy of emulation. With his Bollywood looks and a lucrative future ahead of him, he showed the patriot in him by making himself unavailable to play in the Indian Premier League.

Dinesh Chandimal a role model

When some of the Sri Lankan cricketers are selling themselves for a mess of pottage, falling head over heels and bending backwards to satisfy the IPL masters and play in the money bag IPL even kicking aside national representation, Chandimal has proved a role model. Now that Chandimal has made a winning debut as captain, he must

endeavour to give continuity to that winning trend. He could learn and improve his captaincy if he could talk to former Sri Lankan captains, and seek their mentorship. Humility will have attractive returns for him. With a prosperous cricketing career ahead of him by playing for his country, Chandimal the stylish wicket keeper-batsman who has the potential to be the next country captain in the established game, had been approached by at least one IPL Franchise as a replacement.

He politely said no and instead will concentrate on following some English lessons, which is very important since he will have to do a lot of interviews when his cricketing adventure begins to unfold. Now that the Bangladesh bash is over, Sri Lanka's next foray will be ICC Champions Trophy in England in June and Chandimal has set out on a strict training schedule to be in peak condition when the England fling comes along. Some of the players who have signed to play in the IPL in India have earned money for generations and with danger to life and limb possible if they tour India this year, it was hoped that saner counsel would prevail and the players will say no to the IPL. But that was not so.

Back to the win at Pallekele and it is said that only those who dare win. And the selectors have shown daring by dropping the ageing seniors and blooding promising and talented youngsters, because this and the 50-over game demands that youngsters be flannelled and padded up. After all the hair splitting and dust raising and with Chief Selector Sanath Jayasuriya rushing to defend the selection of Minister Keheliya Rambukwella's son Ramith in the squad, proved a damp squib as the young man was benched.

Hence the action by Jayasuriya proved a farce. Jayasuriya will do well in the future if he holds his counsel and not rush to justify his team's selections. He has created a precedent in doing so and it will be interesting to watch how he will wriggle out of this situation in the future.

Thirimanne commits hara kiri

Although the more experienced Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne failed to deliver, Thirimanne committed hara kiri, attempting to steal a run that was not there. Once again the cricketing star on that balmy night before an almost full house at Pallekele was the dashing left hand batting sensation Janith Kusal Perera. Perera proved a star class entertainer with a big hitting display that sent the crowd into raptures howling for more with Jessopian like hitting.

His sixes between mid wicket and square leg were scintillating. When he went caught behind by Rahim attempting to cut, he had laid the foundation for a total of 198 that equalled the previous best against Australia in Pallekele.

Foundation for a big score

Perera hit four sixes and five fours in a 44-ball knock of 64 that laid the foundation for a record equaling score by Sri Lanka. Had he continued, he would have taken Sri Lanka to a new record score in Twenty20 cricket.

With Perera showing signs of turning out into being another slaughterer like when Sanath Jayasuriya was in swing, he should temper his impetuosity. He never allows any bowler to drop into a line or length.

If he curbs his impetuosity, avalanche of runs could be his. Another youngster who the crowd was waiting to watch was debutant allrounder Angelo Perera. Perera who is a bundle of energy and full of talent, sadly could not get a bat. But while missing out, he made his presence felt by clutching on to an amazing catch.

Young blood for Champions Trophy

This victory over Bangladesh should spur the selectors and make them bold to toss in young blood for the Champions Trophy in England in June. 50 and Twenty20 cricket are for young gazelles. After the Kushal Perera heroics, Jeevan Mendis and Thisara Perera belted the opposing bowlers into submission. With the seniors missing, these youngsters rose to the occasion with some beefy hitting. And when Bangladesh batted the bowlers and fielders proved better than their opponents. The bowlers were on line and length, wicket to wicket, which is what bowling in this format of the game is all about.

Promising effort by the young guns

The fielders supported the bowlers well and never allowed the Bangla batsmen to break free. They cut the threes into twos, twos into ones and threw themselves to stop the ball from hitting the boundary ropes. All in all it was a promising effort by the young guns which augurs well for the future. Bangladeshis who seemed to be getting better with each game, were certainly not disgraced. Sadly their bowlers had forgotten the cardinal rule of bowling wicket to wicket and sprayed the ball all over and went for a lot of runs.

The fielders were butter fingered. In addition to dropping catches, their ground fielding was appalling. If they hope to improve and be competitive opponents they will have to get these two vital aspects spot on.

Ashraful's Rolls Royce cover driving

Of the Bangladesh batsmen, I will go any distance to watch Mohommed Ashraful, the former captain and batsman bat. His cover driving is exquisite and the Rolls Royce of stroke play, with rare world timing and once the ball leaves his bat it rockets to the boundary. As a teenager when he first made his initial tour to Sri Lanka he blasted a debut Test hundred at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground against the likes of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan who were bowling at their peak. Opening the batting in the Twenty20 and the manner in which he raced to 43 in double quick time, had he not been ruled out to questionable leg before decision, he could well have taken his team passed the massive Sri Lankan total of 198 and to a memorable victory. But that's how the game goes.

AASL Secretary's ousting

Pity the ousting of Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka General Secretary Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando after just nine months in office, after a job well done and to the entire satisfaction of all.

Fernando who took on this onerous job, spent his valuable time and did things for the athlete, the sport, the administration and the country in the short span of nine months that he was in the hot seat.

Fernando's ousting was akin to the ousting of then Sri Lanka Cricket President Ana Punchihewa two weeks after Sri Lanka won the World Cup in Lahore in 1996. But Fernando can take solace in the fact that he performed a job to the best of his ability and was an example.

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