Cricket coach picking panel on a sticky wicket
 Sri
Lanka Cricket and the panel appointed with the onerous task of choosing
a coach for the national cricketers headed by Ranjit Fernando have been
in a crisis situation, unable to find the right or suitable one. After
whetting down the list of applicants for the job, the panel has finally
settled down for home grown Marvan Atapattu and South Africa and former
Sussex player Mark Davis from whom one will be picked.
It is a pity that coaches from around the world with better and
proven credentials have shied away from applying for this post. The
panel is now saddled with Atapattu and Davis. The shying away has
probably been that the package offered was not competitive and tempting
enough in keeping with the onerous job and what the benchmarks of the
international cricket market. The job of a coach is a high profile one
and the remuneration has to be a tempting one. We cannot get quality on
the cheap.
Pity Graham Ford’s quitting
Pity that Graham Ford who has been settling down well with the
national cricketers, showing and telling them how, could not have been
coaxed to keep batting. He seems to be an ideal coach for the Sri Lanka
situation. In the past there was a hunt for coaches with the tag “made
in
Australia”. That was when Australia’s cricket was riding a crest of a
wave of success demolishing all opposition with ease. But once the
Aussie juggernaught was stalled, the demand for their coaches too
dropped. There was a possibility of former Australian wicket keeper and
now turned coach Steve Rixon forwarding his credentials.
But apparently his price and demands were beyond the budget of Sri
Lanka Cricket. But SLC did not turn him down but said “let’s talk” But
apparently Rixon has not kept SLC informed since.
How will the selection panel go
Now with either Atapattu and Davis to decide on, it will be
interesting to see how the selection concludes. The Committee’s pick
will have to be ratified by the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka
Cricket.
As for the writer who can claim to have played both school and club
cricket at its highest level and counts over 50 years experience of
writing cricket , this writer’s pick will be South Africa Mark Davis.
True my pick would have ruffled the feathers of Atapattu and his
supporters. But to be fair to the local grown coach, if made national
coach his stay would not be a bed of roses as long as the three seniors
Mahela Jayewardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan are still
wielding the willow. In addition, Atapattu has not enough experience to
adorn this post. If he can keep his wicket for another couple years, he
will then have learnt more, gained the necessary experience and with a
young squad the pitch will be right for him to bat on.
Information has it that Atapattu came out tops with his presentation
at the interview. That proves that he has the right credentials to
demand for this post of national coach in the future. He is still young.
So let him bide his time till then.
Back to Bodyline?
If the fiery short pitched bowling what we saw in the First Ashes
Test between Australia and England, especially from left armer Mitchell
Johnson is an indication, then there is the possibility of ‘BODYLINE’
rearing its head again. When England were struggling and frustrated
unable to beat Sir Don
Bradman’s rampaging Australians, led by Douglas Jardine in 1931/32
series in Australia, the English struck upon the ploy of employing, what
was called ‘BODYLINE’ to bring down the high riding Australians. The man
they entrusted to bowl this life threatening delivery was Harold Larwood.
Larwood a strongly built man with enormous speed was asked to bounce at
the body of Australian batsmen in an endeavor to startle and paralyze
them.
Jardine employed a tight leg side field – three leg slips, fine leg
and square leg and kept pegging on Larwood to aim at the body by
pitching short. In those days batsmen did not look like knights in
armour like the modern batsmen do.
Area that Harold Larwood lived
That Australia- England Ashes series between England led by Jardine
and Australia by Don Bradman was full of acrimony from the moment the
first ball was delivered and at one time threats were there to call off
the tour.
With Mitchell Johnson letting fly speedy and vicious short pitched
bowling at the England batsmen in the first Test convincingly won by 381
run at the Gabba in Brisbane, the bodyline question naturally props up.
Sledging Aussie style
From what we read and saw on Star Cricket 1, the current Ashes series
is going to end up in acrimony. In addition to the short pitched
bowling, there has also been a lot of sledging, led by Aussie captain
Michael Clarke.
Clarke had taunted last man James Anderson saying that – get ready
for a broken f…. arm–. Clarke was defending his team mate George Bailey
who had been sledged by James Anderson. Clarke was fined for his
outburst.
At that time Anderson with Joe Root was frustrating the Aussies from
going one-up in the five-match series. Aussies tag sledging as ‘mental
disintegration’. Jonathon Trott fell victim to ‘mental disintegration’
Sledgeing is okay as long as it does not get out of hand.
Great on Aussies to win
It was great of the Australians to win the First Test. It should give
them the necessary confidence and inspiration to dominate the remaining
four games and regain if possible the Ashes which they have lost to
England three times previously. When Australia won the toss and batted
on a good Gabba wicket and was dismissed for 295, it looked as though
England had seized the early advantage and that they would pile up a big
score in reply and push Australia into the deep end.
But after a promising start, England batsmen were electrocuted by the
electrifying pace and bounce of Mitchell Jonson and Ryan Harris an in
losing 6 wickets for 9 runs and in a startling collapse were shot out
for 136.
Helped by punishing centuries from opening batsman David Warner and
Captain Michael Clarke and another half ton from wicket keeper batsman
Brad Haddin, Australia declared at 401 for 7, leaving England to score
561 for victory or sink or swim.
Sink they did
And sink they did by being shot out for 181, giving the Australians a
satisfying and resounding victory by 381 runs, and probably the life
line they were looking for to dominate the rest of the series.
Johnson will always remember this First Gabba Test. He was ignored
for the previous series in England and fought himself back into
contention. His punishing batting with a half century when Australia
were looking for runs and his match bag of nine wickets won him the man
of the match award. Now that Australia has drawn first blood, they will
be determined to stay that way and not allow England to have a sniff of
chalking a four in a row Ashes victory. England would go back to the
drawing boards, determined to lick into shape their rough edges and come
back in the remaining Tests. The stage is now set for a blockbuster of a
series.
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