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| Sunday, 9 November 2003 |
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Hashan Tillekeratne relishes leading team from the front by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE Sri Lanka's controversial Test cricket captain Hashan Tillekeratne, whom critics feel is not potential captaincy material, took a swipe at them saying he had all the credentials to carry the exalted job of leading from the front which task he relished and in fact was looking forward to encounter against the Englishmen later this month. Saying he welcomed constructive criticism in the interest of the game, the 36-year-old veteran held out a firm bat at critics lamenting he was back, having sacrificed a good 2 1/2 years in the wilderness. He was the better by the experience and determined to make the most of this second lease leading from the front with success for as long as he could for which he believed he had all the credentials. While his career had suffered, it had been resultantly damaging to Lankan cricket where to date he couldn't see the results of any youngsters who had really emerged by that shake-up, Tillekeratne told the 'Sunday Observer'. Known for his ability to frustrate bowlers for a fencing bat, Tillekeratne, who has taken many body blows from the most lethal of them including Australia's Brett Lee in putting team before self, played down recent rumblings that he was not positive enough to deliver. He held that those 'brickbats' were only from one or two quarters. All others supported him. He welcomed constructive criticism, but not the type which would damage Sri Lankan cricket at a juncture he had joined hands with the country's cricketing establishment to 'build our youngsters of the future.' It was not that he wasn't positive, but importantly to achieve results, the team needed to play as an unit which had not happened in the drawn home series against New Zealand and the lost 0-1 away series against the West Indies. Regarded as 'Mr. Reliable' for holding the middle-order together, in the prime of his career, arguably perhaps in the best years of the country's cricket yet which flourished during the Arjuna Ranatunga era marked by Sri Lanka's 1995-'96 World Cup success. Tillekeratne drove home the fact that he derived confidence from a wealth of 18 years of playing experience at the highest level and captaining his club NCC for 6 years. But in fairness to him, the stocky Tillekeretne, who first caught the eyes of the selectors as a teenager just out of D. S. Senanayake College for the rare trait of keeping his wicket and grafting runs during the country's early years of Test cricket, felt that it was unfair to look down on him after just two series' when in fact he needed a reasonable chance to have a shy at it. Following are excerpts of the interview: (Q): There have been critics saying that you are not the ideal captain. Your comments. (A): It's one or two critics. All others in the game support me. I think I'm in the 17th or 18th year playing for Sri Lanka. I captained NCC for 6 years. So I have the experience behind me. But captaining the national side is not an easy job. You need time to get accustomed with it. Results don't come overnight. Personally, I think that I should be given a more opportunities. (Q): There is a general public thought that you are slow with the bat and as such not suitable to lead from the front? (A): I wouldn't agree. Eleven 100's and seventeen 50's from 77 Test matches speak for my contribution to the team. (Q): Sections of the media had been critical of your inability to win the home Test series against New Zealand. That your decision making was slow. And also that you lost the series to the West Indies. (A): We could have won the first Test against New Zealand had we not dropped 7 or 8 catches. We lost the second Test to the West Indies purely because of bad batting if not for which we could have come on top. I'm not pointing a finger at anyone or giving excuses. I'm just saying that we should have clicked as an unit and things would have been different. What I wish to stress is that we need to click as an unit instead of going on individual performances. In the batting for instance, getting 20's and 30's and not converting these into big ones is a minus factor. There is no guarantee you can get a 50 or 100. So the batsmen need to convert the 20's and 30's into the big ones. This did not happen in the West Indies. (Q): As for your batting we did not see much from your bat after that century against New Zealand? (A): Besides the century I got a 93 in Kandy against New Zealand. After that I did have a lean patch, but not only I any batsman goes through a bad run. I'm confident I can come back and do my best for my country. (Q): How confident are you in the shoes of captain for the upcoming 3-Test home series versus England? (A): It will be a good challenge beating England. For this I wish to reiterate that the team needs to play as an unit, not as individuals. When you look back at the last two series against England, we gave it on a platter to them due to mistakes. It was purely due to bad batting that we lost back home. In England at Lords again it was bad batting and two costly dropped catches both off Michael Vaughan who from there went on to make a hundred. No one drops a catch intentionally, but we must be more focussed. (Q): What about the much talked of brittle middle order come the England series? (A): We all know the middle order is brittle. Unfortunately Mahela (Jayawardene) has been having a lean run. But I'm confident that Mahela has the ability and class to get out of that rut and perform. I'm confident that he will come out of it to give muscle to the middle order with his acumen and experience. (Q): Would the dual roles of having to deliver with the bat and lead from the front affect your batting? Can we expect to see the usual "Mr. Reliable'? (A): I always want to lead from the front and perform at the highest level and looking forward to the England tour here. I derive confidence from a wealth of experience playing for my country. I can say that the added responsibility of captaining the side will not affect my batting which you would see by the century I scored against New Zealand in what was my first outing as captain. Neither will I be bogged down by criticism. I always welcome constructive criticism because it helps one to improve one's game and at the same time it overall helps develop the game. (Q): Some feel that your retirement from one-day cricket was because you felt your time is up? Are you contemplating quitting Test cricket before long? (A): I never quit the one-day game on the grounds that my game had slowed down. In fact in the last Sharjah Triangular I scored a 70 and 30 which speaks for my fitness. The reason I retired from one-day cricket is because of the fact that I will not be available for the next World Cup and wanted to give a youngster a chance to be groomed. For the record, I have played in four World Cups. So I felt this is the time to give a youngster a chance if they want to groom youngsters. After I was dropped 2 1/2 years ago I came back and re-cemented my place in the team including the one-day XI. They (selectors) couldn't find anyone of suitable talent while I lost a good 2 1/2 years which was a big setback to my career. The fact is that they were unable to groom anyone. I must say that as long as I'm fit and can bat at the highest level I'll keep going. Our cricket should go on. Critics shouldn't create friction at a time we are trying to build our youngsters for a better tomorrow. I hope to do that. (Q): Would you say you are enjoying your new role as captain? (A): Yes, I'm enjoying my cricket in whatever role entrusted me and all including the players are supporting me. We need to win, but results cannot be expected overnight. That's the key. We need to work for it. |
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