Great satisfaction putting back something to the game- Ranjit Fernando

Excerpts of the Interview

Q: You have a dual role to play as Manager of 'A' team and also a National Selector. How do you mix the two?

A: I needed a break from over 15 years of cricket commentating because, I found staying long periods away from home tough, but mixing these two jobs has virtually been a full time occupation now, and managing time has become far more important once again. The great satisfaction I however get is putting back something to the game which has been so generous to me. In fact made me what I am.

There are the positives and the negatives in a dual role exercise, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives if one is able to properly manage what he is doing.

As selectors, each of us have our strengths, and once all of us identify that in the other, and use these strengths collectively, I think we could do a fairly decent job. The primary objective is to do our best for Sri Lanka cricket and that is all, we as selectors should be interested in. I must say that the previous selectors too have done an extremely difficult job very well, and we require to also carry on the good things they have put in place.

Q: What are your goals for the 'A' team?

A: I firmly believe that whether you are a Manager or a Selector, it is a must that your objectives are in line with the goals of the organisation, which is Sri Lanka Cricket in this case. This is vital for any institution to succeed, as otherwise you would be working at cross purposes. Every inch of the organisation should be working towards one set of goals and objectives.

As far as 'A' team cricket is concerned, I am convinced that successive cricket administrations, over the last 5-6 years, and the present one, has paid special emphasis to 'A' team cricket. This has paid rich dividends, which is amply reflected in the bench strength our cricket now possess. We must not forget that the current team is without some of the greatest players that have represented our country, and Kumar Sangakkara has been able to still maintain a highly competitive team in all forms of the game.

You will therefore see that the policy has been successful. There are 2-3 players vying for each place in the national team. This is a happy problem to have. The goal now should be to try and muscle the reserve strength even further. More players on the heels of those already there will make Sri Lanka Cricket even better in the near future. Sri Lanka Cricket now as a policy continues to aggressively support 'A' team cricket and also cricket at under 19 level, and the results are very evident.

As selectors one would see that at 'A' team level, we have looked to give a lot of highly talented players' opportunities. Amongst these are some players who may be even considered not so young. The reason for that is to keep an extremely strong domestic competition going, we also require these players with experience, and there is a need to have them motivated too. 'A' team cricket is an excellent platform for this. If one looks at the highly successful domestic competitions in other parts of the world, it is these senior players that form the nucleus. International players are always not available. The need now is for Cricket at 'A' team level to sensibly cater to both these categories. It will be appreciated that a country's cricket is only as good as the players in the domestic competition. I believe that this is the best way to go.

Q: There is a wide spread belief that standards of behaviour amongst cricketers are eroding and Sri Lanka too must be mindful of this. How do you approach this?

A: The game has become very competitive and being consistently successful. We must not forget that the millions of followers of cricket all over the world love the special way we play the game and are successful. This must always be kept in mind. Every country has their own style and we should not look to copy the way others play. Sri Lanka has its own style and class in everything we do.

I believe that our cricketers must not in anyway compromise on our great culture and traditions in their way of behaviour as International sportsmen, if they are being eroded, I will have no hesitation in pulling up the players. My job as manager is to facilitate and show them the way. I will definitely not be afraid to make changes for the better, if necessary.

Q: What can you say of the 'A' team tour of Australia?

A: The team took time to settle down. As it was not the summer in Australia, we played games in Brisbane and Townville in the North, where it was less cold in June than the rest of Australia. The pitches and conditions were different to what we had experienced in Australia, during summer months.

Although we had some good performances during the four-day games, we were beaten. In the One-day matches however, that followed the 4-day games, we completely outplayed Australia, winning 2- nil, with one game tied. While the results were important, the more important objective was to give players opportunity and exposure to top quality competition. Chamara Silva, Paranavithana, Kosala Kulasekera, Jeevan Mendis amongst the senior cricketers, and youngsters Chandimal, Thirimanna, Nuwan Pradeep Senanayake, Karunaratne and some others, made good use of this tour, and are now certainly much better equipped. Chamara's return to the main fold had a lot to do with the trip.

Q: What were your impressions of Romesh Kaluwitharana, as a coach?

A: I was very impressed by Coach Romesh Kaluwitharana. He had the respect and trust of the players and his maturity and temperament were growing all the while. There is no doubt, that he possesses the knowledge, and with more exposure and experience will be a great asset. The same could also be said about Anusha Samaranayake, who handled the fast bowlers. There is no doubt about their contribution too, in the development of the above-mentioned players, during the tour.

Q: How do you see the present coaching structure?

A: During my playing time we had some of the best coaches you could have ever had, with people like Bertie Wijesinha, Edward Kelaart, Chippy Gunasekera, Gerry Gooneratne, Abu Fuard, Fairlie Dalpathado, F.C. de Saram, W.A.N. Silva, to name just a few, but the need at that time was small, with only a few thousands playing cricket. With the game now being played in every nook and corner of the country, the requirements are enormous, and I must say without any reservation, that we have a very good coaching department at Sri Lanka Cricket. I was involved in the development of coaching from the time we were admitted as a full member and was instrumental in drawing up the National Coaching Plan. The islandwide coaching structure in Sri Lanka has grown greatly in stature from the days we became a Test cricket nation. I think it is outstanding now, and has the potential to be amongst the 'Best in the World'.

We must not settle for anything less, and have our own home grown coaches in charge of our National team.

At the grass root level we have to develop a culture of young cricketers thinking on their own, rather than been told everything by a coach. This is an aspect that has to be addressed in order for them to mature quickly.

Q: How do you and the selector's see Sri Lanka's chances in the World Cup?

A: There is no doubt that we have a great chance to win the World Cup again. As Aravinda has said, and so has Arjuna. We now have one of the most potent and varied bowling attacks in world cricket.

The batting too has a huge amount of talent. I am sure that the selectors individually have not been able to settle for names, for a number of slots. The race for places is still certainly on, and I can categorically say that no player is out of the running.

You don't have to have a brilliant cricket brain to say that we lack consistency in our cricket. That is an area we have to work on to succeed. We will work closely with the team management to see that we get the best combination in the next few months. There is a tour of Australia, the West Indies will visit us, and also some very competitive domestic cricket is in the offing. The opportunities are still available before the World Cup.