The game of cricket in Sri Lanka………….

The game of cricket in Sri Lanka was played 45 years before the first ever Test match played between England and Australia; the inventors of Test cricket. The first cricket Test match was played in 1877 and the first Royal Thomian in 1879. It might have been the Test cricket frenzy of the day that went on to create interest for a similar activity between the two schools. Sri Lanka school cricket structure is one of strongest in the world. So it is no falsehood to say that Test cricket has been in the blood of Sri Lankans from the inception. No other Asian country school game can be found on record to be as old.

From this deep past we have elevated ourselves into the world stage of cricket and have been around in it for around forty years. Yet, when it comes to selecting a team, why do we have to make it such a big deal? The players so chosen are not up to fulfilling expectations. Why is there the feeling that those given the chance are not the ones to be in the side?
We did it to ourselves again did we not? From a winning position to lose a Test match is unpardonable. Not that it does not happen to others playing Test cricket, but we just over do things. Test cricket is no experiment; it is the real deal in cricket, although overshadowed by the new games on the shorter side.
Are our new players that get in not fully prepared and ready, when they do? You can understand when it comes from being a brand new outfit. But playing in the shadows of greats why does it have to go on that way? The main ingredient missing in our younger lot is the big match temperament. Playing in the shadows of greats these are things to study under them and learn. They should have more confidence in them from these learning’s. Especially with the batsmen our youngsters must make the effort to learn from seniors by focussing their attention on their actions and then seek advice wherever possible.
In the early days, even up to the seventies or even eighties, Test cricket has not changed much; no one pushed to win. Under such situations new players coming in did not matter too much. They could have walked in and gained all the experience leisurely. But the effects of the shorter version have come to play a major part in Test cricket now.
When such is the state of play in the Test scene now, the youngster getting into the team has to have matured greatly. There is no chance as in the past for him to gather experience. It is like in war days; soldiers were made to finish their training of four to five years in about two to three months. These cricketers must make such effort. These new players get the chance to get to know tactics and strategies at a much faster pace now as a result of the development of the game.
There is also the aspect of technology that has developed and contributing towards helping in the analysis of games. The student of the game has to stay abreast with this new technology as it is helpful in the long run, properly handled. Whether technology is taking all that away from our younger set is something to watch out for. Nothing can replace the teacher/student approach.