Sports
When ‘siri’ means failure?
Cricket and national security:
by Rex Clementine
Such was the popularity of Dayasiri Jayasekara when he was named Chief Ministerial candidate of Wayamba a few years ago, there were posters that read, ‘Wayambata siri, Dayasiri’. The popular politician has a history of shooting from the hip, and some of his supporters have changed the slogan to ‘Ammatasiri Dayasiri.’
A lawyer by profession, during his interactions with the media as Sports Minister, he appeared to be quite knowledgeable, broadminded and fair. More than anything, he has not lost the common touch so much so that some old-timers in the media thought he had a brighter future.
However, it needs to be added Dayasiri has to mend his ways in some respects. He has earned notoriety for changing sides in politics. He entered politics from the SLFP and then crossed over to the UNP. He again pole-vaulted to the SLFP.
Now, Dayasiri is taking on religious leaders. Earlier this week, he lashed out at Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith for criticizing Maithriapala Sirisena, who , as the President in 2019, failed to prevent the Easter Sunday carnage despite several early warnings of the terror strikes.
Cardinal Ranjith is one of the most respected religious figures in the Catholic Church and according to Vatican observers, he will be one of the Papabile in an upcoming conclave. The prelate has spoken for his flock. Serious lapses on the part of the ‘yahapalana’ government caused more than 250 Catholics to be killed; people are scared of going to church as a result.
Men stay out as guards near Catholic churches while women and children are praying. That has been the case all around the country although the presence of armed forces during the Holy Week was a massive relief. This situation has come about thanks to Dayasiri’s political boss, Sirisena’s failure to safeguard national security.
As Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara started with so much promise, having identified all the right things that needed to be done. But he gave in to political pressure, and his term turned out to be a disaster. When Dayasiri took over, there was an Interim Committee in place running cricket. Sidath Wettimuny was presiding over the affairs of SLC, having been put in there for one purpose—introducing a new constitution for SLC. Dayasiri called for cricket elections. Guess who benefited? His SLFP colleague, Thilanga Sumathipala, who returned as President of SLC after a lapse of more than ten years.
It is not only ‘siri’ in their names that Sirisena and Dayasiri have in common; both are known for their failure to deliver. Sirisena failed as the President and Dayasiri as the Sports Minister. Failures seem to have become the pillars of the SLFP!
Dayasiri’s interference in the game of cricket was too much. In 2017, he recalled Sri Lanka’s ODI cricketers back in the middle of the night after they had enplaned to travel to India. Sri Lanka’s legendary cricketers being asked to get off the plane and return home made international headlines. Whom did Dayasiri try to please by making such drastic actions? Was he taking any sides after SLC’s Executive Committee and National Selection Panel ended up on a collision course over some selections?
Some players did not mince their words when they took on Dayasiri. Lasith Malinga was one of them.
The performance of the national cricket team during Dayasiri’s tenure was horrendous. Sri Lanka lost a first-ever Test match to Bangladesh and were whitewashed 5-0 by India and Pakistan. Into the bargain, the national cricket team also suffered a home ODI series defeat to Zimbabwe, a defeat that has been probed by the ICC. It should be also mentioned that when Dayasiri was the Sports Minster, the cricket board gave away funds to construct a state-of-the-art cricket facility in his electorate at the expense of many deserving schools.
Dayasiri should stop trying to defend the indefensible and cutting a pathetic figure in the process. Sirisena will never be able to absolve himself of the sin of having failed to prevent the terror strikes. Dayasiri and his equally failed boss will not be able to get anywhere by taking on the upright religious leaders who are on the side of the truth and are fighting for the people’s right to life.
Almost exactly 100 years since Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe became the first pair to achieve it in Test cricket, the Afghanistan pair of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi batted out a full day of a Test match without being dismissed. In the process, Rahmat became the holder of Afghanistan’s highest Test score (231*), Shahidi struck his second Test ton (141*), and the pair comfortably broke the record for Afghanistan’s best Test partnership (361). All in all, their addition of 330 runs across 95 overs on the third day has taken Afghanistan to 425 for 2, now only 161 behind Zimbabwe’s 586.
Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo ranks among one of the best places to bat among Test venues, and Zimbabwe’s first-innings score across the first two days suggested a placid third-day surface, which it was, barring the occasional ball that stayed low.
The Zimbabwe bowlers were made to grind by the strong defensive game showed by Rahmat and Shahidi, but they were also let down by their fielding. There were atleast four catches dropped, all off Rahmat, along with a few half-chances. Both spin and pace proved ineffective to get a breakthrough, and the set batters pounced on the loose deliveries from the inexperienced bowlers, a regular occurrence through the day.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 425 for 2 in 125 overs (Rahmat Shah 231*, Hashmatullah Shahidi 141*) trail Zimbabwe 586 [Sean Williams 154, Craig Ervine 104, Brian Bennet 110*; AM Ghanzafar 3-127] by 161 runs
[Cricinfo]
It was a heist for the ages in Mount Maunganui as New Zealand secured an eight-run win in the first T20I, and with it took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. But more importantly it was a lesson in fight from the hosts, one the visitors would do well to take note of.
For much of the game it had looked Sri Lanka’s to lose. The first instance was when New Zealand were reeling on 65 for 5 midway through their innings, and the second when Sri Lanka were cruising after a 121-run opening stand needing just 52 off 40 deliveries.
On both occasions New Zealand fought back, and hard – initially through a 105-run stand between Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell to post a competitive 172 for 8, and then finally through a late strangle that saw Sri Lanka lose eight wickets for 38 runs after being in total control of proceedings.
Jacob Duffy was at the heart of the collapse with a three-wicket 14th over, as he set the wheels in motion for a sterling New Zealand comeback – which also earned him the player of the match award. Sri Lanka though will be at a loss for words in attempting to explain how they let this game slip.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 172 for 8 in 20 overs (Daryl Mitchell 62, Michael Bracewell 59; Binura Fernando 2-22, Maheesh Theekshana 2-29, Matheesha Pathirana 1-60, Wanidu Hasaanga 2-33) beat Sri Lanka 164 for 8 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 90, Kusal Mendis 46; Matt Henry 2-28, Jacob Duffy 3-21, Zakary Foulkes 2-41) by 8 runs
[Cricinfo]
A defiant maiden Test century by Nitish Kumar Reddy brought up with No. 11 Mohammed Siraj for company, led an outstanding rearguard from India at the MCG to give them hope of at least avoiding defeat in the fourth Test although Australia were still set to take a significant first innings lead.
Reddy, who had shown his batting prowess at various stages through the series, arrived at the crease early on the third morning after a Rishabh Pant dismissal that prompted some strong reactions and was still there when bad light and rain brought an early close. He forged a stand of 127 in just under 48 overs with Washington Sundar to halt Australia in their tracks when they appeared likely to take a stranglehold on the game.
However, Reddy’s crowning moment came amid huge tension after Washington was dismissed. In what appeared to be a lack of communication, he and Jasprit Bumrah came back for a second run off the final ball of an over which exposed the No. 10 to Pat Cummins and he edged to slip as Reddy watched from the non-striker’s end on 99. But Siraj was able to negotiate three deliveries from Cummins to huge cheers from the Indian supporters.
Now, facing Scott Boland , Reddy defended two deliveries before unleashing a lofted straight drive down the ground to bring up a magnificent century, just the second of his first-class career. His father was in the crowd, among those on the edge of the seat as the landmark approached, and couldn’t contain his emotion.
When the players left the field for a second time – rain having earlier brought an early tea – Australia’s advantage had been whittled down to 116, far fewer than looked on the cards when they had India 221 for 7 before lunch. They will still hope for a lead in three figures but could now face a race against time to earn victory on a true pitch that hasn’t shown significant signs of deterioration.
The second evening had finished with Australia claiming 3 for 6 around the run out of Yashasvi Jaiswal, the ramifications of which were still being hotly debated when play resumed, with India 310 behind. Pant led the scoring early on the third morning, but fell in a manner that created many headlines when he attempted to scoop Boland over fine leg and got a leading edge to deep third. In a Test that had been dominated by Sam Konstas’ scoops, this was an example of when things go badly.
Ravindra Jadeja played a largely defensive innings before being defeated by a superb piece of bowling from Lyon who skidded one through to trap him lbw. It was just Lyon’s fourth wicket of the series but, having later made one bounce to remove Washington, he could yet have a key role to play. When Jadeja fell, India were still 253 runs adrift with the follow-on the first target as Washington joined Reddy, although there’s almost no chance Cummins would have enforced it.
Reddy had been positive when he arrived, quickly overtaking Jadeja’s score despite his partner having a 35-ball headstart. Shortly after Lyon had removed Jadeja, Reddy skipped down to the offspinner and sent him straight for six. His half century came up with a rasping back-foot drive against Mitchell Starc and, as it had previously in the series, his technique shone of someone who will be higher up the order as his career develops.
Washington, who played a vital role with the bat in the famous 2021 victory at the Gabba, was watchful throughout, collecting his first and only boundary from his 103rd ball when he sent Starc through point with an elegant drive. The selection of the extra allrounders over Shubman Gill had been the topic of much debate but they could have done little more with the bat justify it.
Washington did have one moment of fortune, in rather unusual circumstances, when he went to turn Starc through the leg side in the first over of the second new ball with it flying off the back of his bat towards second slip where Steven Smith, taken by surprise that it came in his direction, couldn’t holding on diving to his right.
There was later a moment of concern for Australia when Starc grabbed his back midway through an over. However, he appeared to come through unscathed and continued to bowl at good pace although ended the day wicketless from 25 overs as the workload of the quicks mounted ahead of the final Test in Sydney.
Mitchell Marsh was used for a spell either side of an extended tea break, but his 120kph medium pace was unconvincing although he did play a role in drying up the scoring early in the final session.
The eighth-wicket pair showed few signs of being separated until Lyon got one to bounce against Washington which took the shoulder of the bat to Smith at slip. At that point, Reddy was on 97 and the day’s most compelling few minutes was about to unfold.
Brief scores:
India 358 for 9 in 116 overs (Nitish Kumar Reddy 105*, Washington Sundar 50; Scott Boland 3-57, Pat Cummins 3-86, Nathan Lyon 2-88) trail Australia 474 by 116 runs
[Cricinfo]
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