Disgraceful behaviour by Sri Lanka’s cricket team

In a Test match in which Sri Lanka’s behaviour was a disgrace, appealing for bad light, confronting the umpires and indulging in delaying tactics should be roundly condemned by all, including sportsmen and women.

Unable to stall Pakistan from gaining a victory with which they drew the Three match Test series after being one down, the Sri Lankan cricketers lost all reason and their on-field behaviour was appalling.

The adage that ‘it is not the winning or losing that matters, but how one played the game’ was shamed and denigrated on the playing field of the Sharjah Cricket Ground in the desert of the United Arab Emirates.

One must be humble in victory and determined in defeat goes another adage. But the Sri Lankan cricketers seemed to be totally ignorant of these virtues as they seemed to be like zombies.

Should be given six of the best

Before going on to make further comment on their disgraceful play and behaviour, we would in lighter vein recommend to Sri Lanka Cricket to first line the full tour squad in front of the headquarters and give them six of the best on their posterior, so that they would learn and not repeat. When a game cannot be won, then every nerve, sinew and muscle must be strained to stave off defeat playing hard and according to the rules.But in getting into a negative mood and lacking in positivity, they gifted a Test, that they could have, at least if unable to win, come out with a respectable draw and not lost disgracefully, with pitiful behaviour to boot. When an unimaginative and aimless batting show saw the Sri Lankans collapsing for 214 in the second innings, setting the Pakistanis 302 to win in 59 overs, the ask was certainly not a bed of roses.

Pakistan on a bed of nails

The Pakistanis were on a bed of nails, as it were, when they began their quest for victory. It was a victory that they were setting their sights on which was going to save face for them.

It was apparent from the first ball, that the batsmen had been psyched to go for nothing but victory. At the break they would have sat and planned strategy and how they were going to make that elusive victory a reality.

From the openers Ahmed Shehzad, Kurram Manzoor, one drop Azhar Ali, the promoted wicket keeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed and the generalissimo Misbah Ul Haq they batted like men possessed.

It was a revelation and a pleasing learning exercise that the Pakistani batters showcased on the gloomy evening under lights at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Slur on time honoured game

From a Sri Lanka point of view, the tactics the cricketers launched out on was most disgraceful and a slur on the time honoured and traditional game, considering that we twice won the ICC ‘Spirit of Cricket’ award as a team captained by Mahela Jayewardene and when Jayewardene won it as an individual. Those awards won, were much more important than winning. The world admired those awards because we played the game, hard in the spirit and keeping to the rules.

The manner in which Captain Angelo Mathews and his troopers were meaninglessly meandering, showed that they lacked the calming influence and guidance of Mahela Jayewardene.

As destiny had it, Jayewardene split the webbing on his left hand which required three sutures and a strapping which not only made batting difficulty; and then when his presence on the field was needed, he suffered a back injury.

Mathews first time in this cauldron

Being a team man if ever there was one, Jayewardene would have been cursing his bad luck and biting his nails, unable to take the field and be of help to Mathews who was in a cauldron for the first time in his short captaincy career.

Mathews seemed to be cottoning on to the nuances of being a captain of class and whom the country could be proud of, the manner in which he captained and batted by example in the two previous Test matches.

But when it came to the crunch and when most needed, he failed miserably in every aspect of captaincy on the field. It is tragic that this had to happen. What is expected of leader is to keep his cool, hold his head high and not lose it when other around are losing theirs, hold his nerve and like all good leaders, lead from the front.

Pakistanis smarting for victory

Knowing that the Pakistanis were smarting for victory and that their batsmen were going to come out risking defeat in search of victory firing all cylinders, they were bound to make costly mistakes.

Here is the message: it was simple Mr. Angelo Mathews what you had to do. All you had to do was to get your bowlers to bowl on one side of the wicket and set fields accordingly. But what were you and your bowlers doing? The moment the Pakistani batsmen showed their attacking intent, you immediately went into defensive mood. And did you not let the Pakistani batsmen off the hook.

You set your men round the field for no accountable reason. Fine leg, square leg, mid wicket, mid on, third man, point, cover, extra cover, mid off all patrolling the boundary leaving only the wicket keeper and the bowler.

Batsmen toying with the bowling

The batsmen were toying with the bowling, turning ones into twos and even bisecting your deep set field to even hit boundaries. It was ultra defensive and meaningless and utterly negative.

And it rebounded and was a slur on your captaincy and sadly it did come into question. It was inexplicable Rangana Herath’s donkey dropping. When you asked him to use the footmarks left by the bowlers, he should not have been flighting, but putting more pace and bowling flat.

Instead every time he flighted, they hit him inside out or reverse swept him. Then you came on and bowled up and downers that came on nicely to the bat. And did you not keep the batsmen at ease!

Then it is questionable why you did not give off spinner Dilruwan Perera a bowl. You played Perera in preference to Sachitra Senenayake. Then did he not deserve even an over to try and break the batters concentration? All your bowlers were bowling here, there, everywhere and times nowhere. Discipline was a lost word.

Immaturity and spoil sport side

Then when the Pakistanis were cantering to victory, you showed the immaturity and spoil sport side by questioning the umpires on their decision to continue, appealing for bad light when the lights on the ground were shining brightly. The umpire having to pull you up for delaying tactics was a very poor reflection on the Captain of Sri Lanka cricket. It reflected badly on the Sri Lankans who have always come in for high praise by those who have played here and watched and admired our cricket grow and progress and be a name to be feared and respected.

All that has been said is without malice to you. You are only 26 and still learning the nuances of what high tec captaincy should be at the highest level. That is why at one time we suggested to you to have a chat with two of our great captains – Michael Tissera on expertise and Arjuna Ranatunga on how to get into the skins of the opponents. Here’s hoping that you will get better with the bitter experience.

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