Don’t let Captain Dilshan be driftwood

The failure of the Sri Lankans to perform in the Two Test matches in Galle and Pallekelle, has brought into focus Captain Tillekeratne Dilshan, with his leadership being challenged in certain quarters.

To lay the blame on a captain of a losing side is not sport. No Captain or team wants to lose. It's just one of those things. When things go wrong to lynch the captain is, to say the least, poor thinking by of those who don't know what captaincy is all about. In saying this we are not absolving Dilshan of any blame. It must be understood that he is a new kid on the block and is still learning. He must be given more time. It's premature to judge him.

No option

To also blame the selectors for slotting him in that post is also not cricket. The selectors had no option. With no other likely contender, the selectors had to settle for Dilshan, who has a dashing opening batsman had blasted many bowling attacks. The record spoke to his capabilities. He is still new to job. He had two Test matches against England in England with one loss and two drawn games and now the Three Tests against Australia in Sri Lanka with one loss, one draw and one to go at the time this column is being read.

His troubles stem from the fact that he has not been able to strike it rich with the bat as he usually does. Due to this defect his confidence, which is so very essential for a captain to succeed, has deserted him.

When he regains his form and once the runs start flowing from his bat, his captaincy abilities will return, and then his critics who don't have an inkling of what captaincy is all about and who are already baying for his throat, will sing a different tune.

Elite school

Dilshan does not come from an elite school, like captains of the past did come. He is from a school in Kalutara, Kalutara Vidyalaya where he learnt the game the hard way. The selectors will do well to get some past captains, such as Michael Tissera now that he is in the Cricket Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, to talk to him and mentor him on the finer points of captaincy. Dilshan will do well to ignore the criticism, which is well intended and concentrate on his game, especially his batting. Once the runs flow and his confidence shows up, things will be different.

Accepted that his approach to batting is slap bang. That is ideal for the Twenty20 and 50 over, and Test cricket is a different ball game. He must temper his aggression with caution, and endeavour to get among the runs. To say that attempting to hit the covers off every ball is his style and this should change.

The selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket, must take Dilshan under their wings and give him all the support to make him successful. He has it in him to shine and time and support will be a healer. And the selectors will do well to send a signal to the other players too that being captain is not risky but a responsibility that will attract the full support of SLC-and hopefully the cricketing public.

Psychologist invaluable

The other day after the first day's play in the Second Test in Pallekele where the Sri Lanka batting collapsed for 174 and at the end of day media meeting, Sri Lanka skipper Tillekeratne Dilshan responding to a question said that they are toying with the idea of employing a psychologist. Psychologists will help to mentor the cricketers on how best to handle the ups and downs of the game and deal with stress. Cricket is as much a game of the mind as it is of skill and talent. It's a pity that while teams before had the benefit of the services of a psychologist, this had been discontinued in recent times. Hence the idea to re-engage such services is most welcome.

Well behaved

The present set of Australian cricketers led by the mercurial Michael Clarke are from all accounts a set of well behaved cricketers. We say this because, we do not see them resorting to sledging which they made famous in the past. Sledging is acceptable if they limit it and not overdo it. Cricket is not meant for sissies. It is mainly a man's game and a few verbals are acceptable unless the sledging gets out of hand and the umpires are forced to step in and warn the culprits. In the past the Australian cricketers made sledging a fine art. They sledged the opponents and made them loose their cool and in the process lose their wickets. The Aussies used to call sledging as mental disintegration.

In the on-going series we see a bit of eye ball to eye ball contact. That is permissible unless unacceptable words are mouthed.

Keep it clean

Apparently this set of Australian cricketers want to keep the game clean and win by performing. They are not looking to mentally upset the opponents and win. The young squad of cricketers that Clarke is leading seem to be a highly talented bunch if their domination over the Lankans in the Two Tests are an indication.

Particularly impressive have been the pacemen Ryan Harris, Tim Copeland, off spinner Nathan Lyon and one drop batsman Shaun Marsh who given the opportunity blazed away to a debut century, which he will treasure and remember for the rest of his career. His doting dad and former opening batsman for the Aussies Geoff Marsh was present to watch his son rewrite history. He sure would have been highly excited and nail biting when his son entered the nervous nineties until he got to that dream hundred and then heaved a sigh of relief.

Marsh from the first ball he faced showed immense concentration, determination, played the bowling on its merit and showed that he has strokes all round the wicket. If he continues in this form, it won't be long before he is bracketed with their former batting greats. It's a pleasure to see how the Aussies conduct themselves on and off the field.

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