By Rex Clementine

When Sri Lanka’s selectors benched a whole lot of seniors, they were going to build the side on three prolific young players. Kusal Mendis had been earmarked as the man destined to break Kumar Sangakkara’s batting records, Niroshan Dickwella with an ability to get under the skin of the opposition had been identified as captain material and Danushka Gunathilaka, the man best suited to bat the power plays. Alas, their excesses in England breaching the bio-bubble saw them being sent home from the tour and handed one year suspensions plus a hefty fine. It’s all back to square one now as the selectors have been forced to look for replacements.

There was little doubt that Mendis was destined for greatness from the moment he was picked to make his Test debut with less than a handful of First Class games to his credit. The other two although were not the same class as Mendis, SLC had heavily invested on them. Now, they have thrown it away and it’s a classic case of talent going astray; they have dug their own graves. When they are ready to return, as we have seen time and again, they may not have their slots available as there’s a good possibility of other players establishing themselves.

Sri Lanka Cricket has received some flack for reducing the sentences from two year bans to one year. Rightly so. Over the years, SLC had soft-peddled when some of these players have stepped out of line and there is a general feeling that the board hasn’t been firm. Here was a good opportunity to uphold the decision of the Disciplinary Committee but the board has taken the middle path!

SLC has argued that they have in fact doubled the fine from Rs. five million each to Rs. ten million. However, if you think that fines are going to make them feel the pinch, you are badly mistaken. Ten million is big money for an ordinary cricket fan but not for a cricketer. All he’s got to do is to go on one tour to recover that money. What the board also needs to find out is whether there was any remorse after the players were sent home after breaching the bio-secure bubble.

If there was no remorse, by reducing the sentence you are sending the wrong signal that these players are indispensable. The game is bigger than individuals and no one is indispensable.

As long as you treat grown up men with kids gloves, however much you try, it’s just a matter of time before they get into trouble again. Danushka Gunathilaka in particular has been a serial offender with a horrible history. In conclusion, all what you can say is that he has got away with a slap on the wrist.

It is learned that the Disciplinary Committee was looking at one year suspensions but the three players were not honest with their confessions such as the time of their rerun to the hotel. Players’ representatives have grossly denied these allegations. It will be interesting to read the learned judge’s observations.

There are more important questions that need to be asked.

How come those from middle class families once they become icons, fall apart. There is something wrong in the system and you need to introduce a player education system which can ensure that players remain grounded. In sports or for that matter in any walk of life, nothing will be achieved if you lack discipline.