Jayewardene brilliant captain, but tormented

When the Sri Lankan cricketers led by Mahela Jayewardene flew into Australia for a series of matches expectations were high that they could win a Test for the first time ‘down under’.

But that longing still remains an elusive dream. When that dream will become a reality is one for conjecture and will depend on how Sri Lanka Cricket sets about its challenge. In many respects it remains a dream, even an elusive dream. The Three Test matches at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground was lost, with the first two Tests being disasters and the third, which could have been won. But the Three Tests are history now.

Game in quicksand

To reflect on the series, we would like to start with skipper Mahela Jayewardene. He it must be understood quit the captaincy, came back when no one was capable or available to lead and Sri Lanka cricket was in quicksand.

When he was forced to accept the job, he did so with the greatest reluctance, but accepted it realizing the plight that the game was in.

This is what patriots are made of. He did a job to the best of his ability and resurrected the game and gave it a new high. Hopes of a Test victory ran high when he brought the squad to Australia. Then when it required that he be free to concentrate on his job and be provided with the ammunition to win that elusive Test, a mole in Sri Lanka Cricket leaks to the free media a request he made for a part of payment to the players from the World Cup Twenty20 be paid to the curators and helpers. The request was turned down.

Direct to the media

Jayewardene did right in giving his side of the story direct to the media instead of sending it through SLC. Then the SLC fires back saying that he and the manager Charith Senanayake had breached their contracts and that the Ex.Co. would discuss it at the next meeting.

It sure would have upset the captain. And at a media briefing when

questioned on the issue, Jayawardene showed the diplomat in him by artfully dodging the question and saying it did not unduly worry him. But it was obvious. Then came the news that he was to be removed from the Test team. Now these two issues were insensible and uncalled for especially because he was in the midst of an important tour. The moles who initiated these two issues during the tour must be exposed. Fumigated perhaps!

Moles found wanting

Obviously the moles would have been those who have not indulged in any thing called sport. Had they been sportsmen they would have known that for a sportsman to perform, he should be free of distractions and be allowed to concentrate on the job in hand.

Jayewardene may well have been asking himself the question: is this what I get in return for accepting the captaincy a second time when everyone was dreading it and refusing? Jayewardene hit hard at his critics by scoring a match winning unbeaten 61 against Australia in the final Twenty20 game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday night.

To relate an anecdote

To digress and relate an anecdote which will serve the present day cricket management. When we were cricketers at St.Benedict’s College, Kotahena we had a Prefect of Games named A. Gnanapragasam.

Now ‘Gnana’ as he was fondly referred to, would before practice start, summon every cricketer and in a cordial chat and ask about the domestic situation and whether there were any problems etc. Now ‘Gnana’ did this because as he would later explain at a team meeting because he wanted every player to be free of any burden or distraction or worry so that we would be at peace and at ease to perform. He would also at times visit most of the homes of the cricketers and check whether we were in a bed at a particular time. He did this to see that we were geared to perform without fear, worry or want.

Unofficial school cricket champs

And that year which was 1957, St. Benedict’s College emerged schools unofficial cricket champions under the leadership of that all round sportsman Lovellyn Rayen with Edward Kelaart as coach and Bro.Alban Patrick as Director. It is hoped that Sri Lanka Cricket will learn from these shortcomings and refrain from getting embroiled in controversy and exposing petty incidents and spoiling the concentration of players when on tour and playing important tournaments and series. These incidents would certainly have gone to disturb the concentration and focus of the players and lead to their underperforming. This prompts us to reiterate and ask the question as to why a sports PSYCHOLOGIST is not part of the team?

Mental toughness

With the Sri Lankan cricketers lacking the mental toughness, a psychologist would have been of great help to toughen and motivate the players and bring out the best in them. Sri Lanka Cricket must give the aspect of employing a psychologist serious thought and not sing that all too familiar perennial lack of funds as an excuse to getting a psychologist to the team.

As for the Three Test series, while we took the Aussies into the final day in Hobart in the First Test before losing was creditable. But the loss in Melbourne in the Second Test just after lunch on the Third day was a calamity.

Fooled by grass on wicket

The Third Test in Sydney could have been won. Fooled by the grass on the wicket, the Australians rushed to announce their team prior to the match packing it with medium fast bowlers hoping that the medium pace men will dominate. Sri Lanka too followed the Australian strategy and went in pace heavy, and like the home team did, included only a solitary spinner. The Sydney wicket was always known to favour spin. But in this instance both teams misread the wicket. Sri Lanka would have been in with a chance and could have chalked up that elusive first ever Test triumph in Australia had they made a big first innings score after being asked to bat first. But that is an afterthought.

In a blaze of glory

Jayewardene quit the Test captaincy in a blaze of glory notching up twin half centuries in the Sydney Test, but could not save his team from ultimate defeat. But they were two knocks to remember.

The one-day five match series

Like the Sri Lankan cricketers won the Twenty20 series, that they could not pocket the Five match one-day series was just one of those things and it was a travesty of justice. After being bashed in the first game in Melbourne, Jayewardene rallied his troops to bang the Australians in Adelaide and then in Brisbane and had it not been for the rain in Sydney and the Aussie reluctance to play, they could have carried away the Commonwealth Bank series trophy.

It was disaster in Hobart which helped the Australians to win and square the series 2-all and helped them save the blushes. It exposed the shortcoming in the Australian get up. That the near two-month tour had to leave a bad taste in the mouth and end in acrimony was sad. But today with winning not being the only thing but ‘the thing’, what with mega dollars to be won, these incidents do happen. The days when the game was played for the game’s sake and in the best of spirits with the great and honoured traditions maintained and where the umpire’s word was law is sadly long gone, because there are Mega Rupees to be won than SENSE. How sad!

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