KitSports » Asanka Gurusinha

SLC Super Provincial L/O tournament for whose benefit?

kit-sports editor — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 09:39:40 +0000

Head Coach Graham Ford, Cricket Manager Asanka Gurusinha and Chief Selector Sanath Jayasuriya.

Matches go ahead with top management overseas :

For whose benefit is the Super Provincial limited-over tournament conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) being played?

The tournament was hurriedly arranged replacing the 4-day first-class provincial tournament that was scheduled with SLC making the announcement that it would be used as a forerunner to selection for the ICC Champions trophy to be held in England in June.

But while the Super Provincial limited-over matches are going ahead it is learnt that the Head Coach Graham Ford, Cricket Manager Asanka Gurusinha and Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya are all currently overseas. So the question arises how seriously are, these matches being viewed with three top people who will play a prominent part in team selections not around.

The Bangladesh debacle appears to have thrown the SLC administration into a deeper muddle with contradictory announcements being made on a regular basis. It gives a casual observer the sense that a whole bunch of self proclaimed highly paid surgeons are groping in the dark. Even the best surgeon in the world needs to first diagnose what ailment a patient is carrying before performing remedial surgery. Here’s why one is pushed towards that assumption.

When Asanka Gurusinha was touted as the remedy for all ills afflicting our national side it was stated at a press conference that the chairman of the selection committee shall basically be reporting to him with Gurusinha performing the role of “tour selector”. A few days later it is announced that Gurusinha has been drafted into the selection committee under Jayasuriya in the capacity of chairman. Then we hear whispers that Graham Ford is thoroughly unhappy about Gurusinha encroaching into his territory and is about to throw in the towel and exit.

So, can somebody at SLC please state with clarity what each of these highly paid individuals job descriptions are and the reporting structure is?

In the absence of having clearly defined roles in areas of responsibility in the management team Sri Lanka can forget about making a turnaround at the Champions Trophy. As with any institution “team work” at the helm is a pre-requisite towards breeding success. Then there needs to be a level playing field and an environment where there is mutual respect among the players in the dressing room. The simple formula that can be prescribed is a complete merit based selection policy with clearly defined roles for each player.

There are also lots of announcements being made about the resources made available and the preparations in place leading up to the campaign. But, are these administrators missing the woods for the trees?

There has been much comment from ex-cricketers about the lack of a talent breeding domestic structure, the lack of proper training infrastructure etc. However, let us not forget for a moment that this country has featured in five World Cup finals without any of these facilities.

There are several other countries that boast of all conceivable resources and more who have not progressed beyond the semi-finals at a World Cup campaign. Does this say something about the sheer cricketing talent this little country of ours is blessed with?

So, actually where does the missing piece lie? It is most probably in selections and player identification.

Right royal embarrassment and disaster was averted during the recently concluded series against Bangladesh when an off-spinner was hurriedly drafted in after the anomaly was given wide publicity in the media. If not for this last minute inclusion the results no doubt would have been untenable than leveling the series across all three formats.

Then we also witnessed fast bowlers who were originally picked being confined to the bench with late inclusions getting picked in the playing eleven ahead of the original squad members.

This raises further questions on “player identification”. A close look at the teams selected for the hurriedly arranged Provincial limited-over tournament does not give one much confidence as players who should be front runners for a slot in the Champions Trophy campaign were either kept on the bench or were sidelined as standbys.

In spite of such blatant shortcomings the sports hierarchy and SLC has kept faith with the present selection committee by extending its tenure by a further year. So, the onus is now on Jayasuriya and Co to deliver on the faith vested on him by first and foremost picking the most suitable captain that can lend leadership towards victory, pick the right batsmen with clearly defined roles to perform in the batting order, and more critically pick the all important bowling line up that can deliver on the current power play structure.

They simply need to be “specialists” capable of picking up wickets in the middle overs not half-baked all-rounders as was the case during the Bangladesh series.

However, it is baffling how the top management intends identifying and picking the right players with the Head Coach, Cricket Manager and Chairman of Selectors all on overseas leave whilst the hurriedly arranged, widely publicized Provincial tournament is going on.

It is interesting to see if the ICC will be fooled into giving SLC a postponement of the April 25 deadline to name the 15 member squad like they did on several occasions during the World T20 tournament in India in 2016.

It is pertinent to mention that the squad that was approved by the Minister of Sports and declared to the ICC was changed just before the team boarded the flight to India.

It is absolutely imperative that the selectors pick the right players and the right combination creating an environment of mutual respect in the dressing room. Otherwise, even training in the North Pole in preparation for the English summer is not going to yield the desired results.

Kusal Mendis one bright spark in the English cold

kit-sports editor — Thu, 26 May 2016 00:35:15 +0000

One of the few positives to emerge from the current tour of England by the Srilanka Cricket team Kusal Mendis is the batting of Kusal Mendis at the vital number three position.

It is a key spot in the batting order and it has been occupied by batsmen in the caliber of Roy Dias, Ranjan Madugalle, Asanka Gurusinha, Roshan Mahanama, Russell Arnold and the greatest of them all Kumar Sangakkara.

Since Sangakkara’s exit from international cricket last year Sri Lanka has been struggling to find a suitable replacement to fill in that big void. Upul Tharanga was tried out in that position, Dimuth Karunaratne was experimented with, failing which they gave it to Lahiru Thirimanne and then to Udara Jayasundera.

Now that pivotal position in the batting order has been given to Mendis who has so far responded with great promise. Making his Test debut against West Indies in October last year Mendis scored 13 and 39 at the P Sara Oval. On the current tour to he has been given that position and he has answered with three half-centuries – two in the side games against Essex and Leicestershire and in the first Test against England at Leeds which incidentally happened to be his maiden Test half-century.

“I had a great start on this tour, and that puts me in a good position to play the games coming up,” said Mendis. “Everyone said it was a good innings, but they also gave me some advice on the weaknesses – especially about foot movement. We’re very disappointed as a side at how the match turned out, but we’re hopeful of doing better.”

Mendis was one batsman who was prepared to take the fight to the English bowlers who reigned supreme in helpful conditions.

Barely 21, Mendis represents an exciting talent that has emerged from the schools which is very rare these days. A product of Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa, Mendis won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award in 2013 before going onto lead his country in the Under 19 Cricket World Cup the following year.

He made his first-class debut for Bloomfield in the Premier League in 2015, but although he was in the national selector’s radar for some time it was not until he made a tour of Hyderabad in September for the Moin-ud-Dowla trophy that paved the way for his entry into the national team. With scores of 156, 52 and 47 he came into contention for a place in the home series against West Indies and now he has been given a further extension in the ongoing series against England to cement his place in the number three slot.

Mendis himself knows that there is a wide gap to bridge between playing first-class cricket in Sri Lanka and Test matches.

“It’s a big difference. I’ve only really played club cricket before this. I haven’t played in the A team. I was in some development sides. It’s a big challenge to score runs,” said Mendis. “But I’m glad I am able to be here. I did well with the development team in India last year, so that gives me a little confidence.”

Playing in England is not all new to this exciting right-hander. “I played for a club called Southgate in the Middlesex league. I got a lot of good experience from that, partly because I was on my own,” said Mendis.

“I learned a lot about how to adjust to conditions and how to deal with that initial disappointment of not knowing them very well and also about how to play when it’s cold. I had to do that alone, and got a lot of useful experience from that,” he said.

But being with the national team Mendis is not all alone, he has plenty of support coming his way.

“Everyone helps me – the captain, the vice-captain, the coach – everyone. I’m the youngest, but no one treats me differently. Whether I’m doing well or had a bad game I feel that support,” said Mendis.

“No one has tried to change my technique much. They’ve just asked me to play as I was. Mentally there were a few changes. The advice was mainly about mentally adjusting. They told me about being patient at this level, because it’s five-day cricket. That was something they stressed.

“They’ve also told me about how to respond when bowlers talked to me. If we go to argue with them, we lose our concentration. It’s important to focus on the game,” he said.

The current tour of England is proving to be a learning curve for young Mendis who is keen to secure a permanent place in the team.

“I’ve played in the number three position before – for club and development teams. It’s a big responsibility. I’ve been thinking about what is possible for me and what needs to be done there,” said Mendis.

“I have to contribute runs to stay in that position and the team. I try to bat the same way every day, with allowances for the pitch. Some wickets you can score quickly and others you can’t.”

There’s no doubt the Mendis is a strong legside player and the opposition will be keenly noting it. To be able to overcome that and score runs is the key to a good player and Mendis has all the ingredients to succeed.