Mahela should not have quit

It came like a toe-crushing yorker from former West Indian fast bowler Charlie Griffith, the sudden quitting of 31-year-old Mahela Jayawardene from the Test and One-Day captaincy of Sri Lanka Cricket.

True that Jayawardene went on his own will, but the selectors comprising Asantha de Mel, Chairman, Jayantha Seneviratne, Ranjith Madurasinghe and Don Arunasiri could have prevailed on Jayawardene not to abdicate.

The selectors should have told Jayawardene that just because we lost the One-Day series 4-1 that it was not the end of the world. After all what is the importance in the `cowboy' game? What's the big deal?

What the captain needed was for the selectors to repose their confidence in him and not be swayed by the nincompoops who know next to nothing of cricket, but who were baying for his pound of flesh so that they could succeeded in their hidden agendas.

Winning and losing is a part and parcel of sport. Sport could be good to you one moment and utterly cruel the next. And in Jayawardene's case it suddenly turned real cruel.

Being one of the most stylish batsmen, not only in the Lankan game, but world cricket where he could be bracketed with the best, he had a sudden dip in form.

That happens not only to Jayawardene. It has even happened to the great Donald Bradman. Need we reiterate that that class is permanent, form is temporary.

Jayawardene is one of the few batsmen who has the straightest of straight bats. His technique is the envy of most other batsmen. His dismissals were not for careless or reckless strokes. It was just that every stroke he made went wrong.

Then that the team lost could not be completely blamed on him. It must be understood that there were 10 others. Cricket is a team sport. Only the knave will blame it only on the captain.

When a team wins, the entire team is congratulated. But when it loses, the captain is lynched. Could there be any better poor thinking than this? Tell me.

Jayawardene did the greatest service and what the whole nation should be proud of when his exemplary and brilliant leadership lead Sri Lanka to win a what money can't buy, the International Cricket Council's `spirit of cricket' award for two years running.

Then did he not lead the team to the finals of the World Cup in the Caribbean? Had it not been for rain making a mockery of the game, where it was reduced 38 overs, we had every opportunity of winning it for the second time.

Then can it be forgotten that he is the Lankan batsman with the highest score in Test cricket, the 374 he made against the South Africans on his home ground, the SSC. Space does not permit us to pen his many other deeds.

The excuse the selectors would make is that Jayawardene requested to be relieved. But that excuse cannot be accepted. They should have consoled and counselled him and told him that they have implicit faith and confidence in him and given him their unanimous confidence to go on building a team for the future.

Have the selectors gone cuckoo? Like the lady in the CIC chicken advert on radio asks.

Jayawardene has consented to lead on the tour of Pakistan. The selectors must not rush their next appointment, but give him time to rethink. He is a no nonsense skipper who gets the best out of every member by example.

True he has said he will be available to the team as a batsman. In addition to his steadying influence as a batsman, he is most needed for his rare ability to lead.

Leaders are born, they are not made. And Jayawardene is a born leader.

Obviously everyone would have been blaming him for the 4-1 defeat against the Indians. And the pressure would have been too much for him to bear. This is where the selectors should have taken over.

Anyway we hope Jayawardene would have a change of mind and heart. It would not be easy for the selectors to find a skipper of Mahela Jayawardene's calibre.

Jayasuriya same fate

On a tour of Australia, Sanath Jayasuriya who was captain suffered the same fate when his team kept losing and with everyone blaming it on him, in disgust he chucked the captaincy.

Jayasuriya confided in me by saying that everyone around him were blaming him for the defeats and no one stood by him and wanted to share in the defeats like they would do when the team was winning.

That's how we lost Jayasuriya's exemplary leadership. It has been no different with Jayawardene.

Great of Vanhoff

Michael Vanhoff of St. Thomas' College, Kotte must be more than an ordinary cricketer if his history making feat with the bat in an inter-school match is an indication to go by.

For a teenager to smash 35 sixes and 20 fours and also hit six sixes in six deliveries and make a massive 356 is beyond comprehension. Vanhoff is a right hand batsman and a right-arm medium-pacer and has the talent to turn into an excellent all-rounder. Those in charge of developing the game will do well to have a look at him and take him under their wings and nurse and nurture him so that he will make it to the big league.

Vanhoff has been under the care of Shane Fernando, the former Media Manager of Sri Lanka Cricket and Kapila de Silva former captain of the school.

Vanhoff had put Jack Anderson and Indika de Saram who made 291 and 314 runs into second and third place.