Sports
Mysterious are the ways of cricket selectors
Rex Clementine in Mohali
In 1984, soon after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi authorized ‘Operation Blue Star’ to remove militant Sikhs from the Golden Temple here in Punjab that resulted in several Sikh deaths, Indian intelligence services pulled out Sikh guards from her security detail fearing her safety. However, ‘the Iron Lady’ one of the most respected political figures in the world, reinstated her Sikh bodyguards as she trusted them. Six months later, she paid a heavy price for the oversight as the Sikh guards gunned her down at her own residence. In cricket too, like in life, you pay heavy prices for your mistakes.
Sri Lanka came to India with the hope of winning their maiden Tests match in this country to end a 40 year barren period. But how costly was picking fast bowler Lahiru Kumara for the first Test here in Mohali? After sending down just ten overs, Kumara returned to the pavilion and was taken for an MRI scan. The team is suspecting a hamstring tear and Kumara is likely to be ruled out of the series.
The members of the national selection panel are supposed to do their homework in picking players to represent the country. Sadly, they have done little research in selecting Kumara and as a result Sri Lanka are playing catch up on day one of the series. Excellent way to start a campaign in our efforts to end a Test win drought in India.
Kumara broke down with a hamstring injury at Pallekele in May last year during the Bangladesh Test match. Since then, he has not played even a single First Class match to prove his fitness and straight he has been brought into a play a Test match again. This is a clear indication that little thought has been put in by those making vital decisions on behalf of our cricket. The selectors’ terms are ending soon and we desperately need fresh thinking and smart thinkers.
Kumara has been barely Test match fit. Every year he breaks down in middle of a Tests match and the team has suffered severe setbacks as their bowling strength has been depleted. Kumara broke down during the Gabba Test in 2019, then again in Centurion the following year as he walked off middle of a Test match. The hat-trick was completed in 2021 at Pallekele. As if that wasn’t enough, he has done it in a fourth year in row. How come they didn’t know this? Mysterious are the ways of our selectors.
Someone needs to be held accountable for picking Kumara to play a Test match without even playing a single First Class game. In other parts of the world, players who are injured have to play considerable amount of First Class cricket or ‘A’ team cricket before returning to Test cricket. But in Sri Lanka we are treating Lahiru Kumara like Richard Hadlee. It’s as if he’s’ an indispensable member of the team.
The selectors have been groping in dark. There are many factors that have resulted in the national cricket team going through a tough phase in recent years. Selection blunders are certainly one of them.
An ODI between Canada and Netherlamds in King City Toronto on Tuesday was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch. The fixture was part of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition, which is part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The match was abandoned just 4.1 overs into the Netherlands innings after they had chosen to bat. They were 15 for 1, with Max O’Dowd the batter dismissed for a duck in the second over. The pitch had uneven bounce and the batters were struck several times during the short passage of play.
On June 12, four days before the abandoned match, the ICC had issued a statement saying the pitch at King City that was used for an ODI between USA and the Netherlands on June 8 had been given an “unsatisfactory” rating and one demerit point.
“This was a pitch that fell below the standard expected for this level of cricket,” match referee Phil Thompson had said about the surface for the USA-Netherlands match. “Both captains expressed disappointment with how it turned out, and the match officials assessed it as ‘very poor’. The inconsistent bounce created challenging and potentially unsafe playing conditions. Taking all factors into consideration, I believe the pitch merits an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating.”
According to the ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, pitches that get an “unsatisfactory” rating will be given one demerit point, while an “unfit” pitch rating will result in three demerit points for the venue. Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period, and an accumulation of six demerit points will result in the venue being suspended from hosting international matches for 12 months (12 demerit points will lead to a 24-month ban).
(Cricinfo)
Joshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo have earned recalls to West Indies’ squad for the two-match World Test Championship series at home against Sri Lanka starting later this month, while the two Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar, are back after missing the tours of India and New Zealand late last year because of injuries.
Trevin Imalch had kept wicket when West Indies last played Test cricket, in New Zealand last December, but Da Silva, 33 Test matches old, has returned after scoring 996 runs across the last two seasons of the West Indies Championship. Imlach, who failed with the bat in New Zealand with a total of 81 runs across six innings – after scoring 33 runs in his only Test in India – has been named captain of a West Indies Select XI to play the Sri Lankans in a tour match in Coolidge from June 18 to 21. Roston Chase will continue to captain the Test side.
West Indies vs Sri Lanka Tests
Jangoo, dropped after only one Test appearance, in Multan in January 2025, where he scored 0 and 30, has returned to the side following a fruitful WI Championship in which he scored 411 runs in seven innings. He finished second on the scorers’ table there, only behind Da Silva, who scored 413 in seven outing. The highlight of Jangoo’s season was the 203 not out he scored for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands
The pair of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, meanwhile, last played Test cricket during the home series against Australia in mid-2025.”Every Test series is an opportunity for us to grow as a team and strengthen our identity,” Darren Sammy, the head coach, said in a Cricket West Indies statement. “Sri Lanka are a quality side, so we know we’ll have to be at our best, but we’re excited about the challenge ahead.”For us, it’s about playing with discipline, showing character when the game gets tough, and representing the West Indies with pride. The players have been putting in the work, and we’re looking forward to putting on a strong display for our fans across the Caribbean.”
Some of the squad members are currently participating in a high-performance training camp in Antigua, which began on June 12 and will run till June 22. The members of the Test squad who were also part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka – West Indies lost the ODIs and won the T20Is – will join the camp on June 15. The Tests will be played in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
“This is a key component of our preparations heading into the series, providing players and coaches with valuable time to enhance and improve the skills we want to see sharpened, based on the areas we need to focus our attention on when facing this opponent,” Sammy said about the camp. “It also gives us the opportunity to put clear objectives and plans in place for the conclusion of the summer against Pakistan.
“Additionally, the four-day warm-up game prior to the series provides the chance for some of our Test hopefuls to play in high-intensity action and create the avenue for more competition within the squad ahead of the upcoming and future series.”
West Indies are currently bottom of the nine-team WTC table, having lost seven of their eight games in the ongoing cycle.
West Indies squad for Test series against Sri Lanka
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