Sports
Duleep Mendis – a man on a mission
by Rex Clementine
When Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage unceremoniously sacked Duleep Mendis as Chairman of Selectors in 2012, the former Test captain took the blow on the chin. Rather than grumble about his misfortune – which had come less than a month after Sri Lanka had won a Test match in South Africa – he ventured at other opportunities and Oman came calling offering him a job as the Head Coach of their cricket team.
Oil-rich Oman was a cricketing outpost. From scratch, Duleep built a cricketing empire. First, he set up the infrastructure for the sport. Then a domestic tournament and finally fine-tuned the skills of the players who fared well in those local competitions. What Oman has achieved in cricket in just a short span is quite outstanding.
They have already featured in the T-20 World Cup and now they are threatening to earn one of the two remaining slots for the sport’s showpiece event later this year in India – the ICC Cricket World Cup.Incidentally, Duleep was Sri Lanka’s hero as they won the inaugural ICC Trophy, the qualifying round for the 1979 World Cup in England.
The Sri Lankan government had made life difficult for the cricket team in 1979 by refusing to play Israel in the qualifiers due to political reasons. This meant that there was little room for error having conceded four crucial points.
But Anura Tennekoon’s side had capable batsmen of the caliber of Duleep. He was the highest run-getter in the 1979 qualifiers having made 222 runs in four innings. Duleep was Man of the Match in the final top scoring with 66 runs against Canada in Worcester.
Then at the World Cup, as Sri Lanka shocked a star-studded Indian side at Old Trafford, Duleep was Man of the Match again smashing 64 in 57 balls. Long before Sanath Jayasuriya had given Manoj Prabhakar a hiding, Duleep had made Kapil Dev look an ordinary bowler. Sri Lanka take on Oman today in a group game of the Qualifiers in Bulawayo. This should be a cakewalk for the Sri Lankans as on paper they are a far superior side.
The man the Sri Lankan team would be fearing most in today’s clash is not any batter or mystery spinner in the Omani side, but a man named L.R.D. Mendis, whose meticulous planning is legendary. When it comes to cricket, Duleep leaves nothing for chance and he would have well in advance scripted how best Oman can upset Sri Lanka. The game features two of the brightest brains in cricket in Duleep and Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s consultant coach.
The Sri Lankan team manager Mahinda Halangoda, ten years junior to Duleep at school at S. Thomas’, knows too well what to expect today and he will be telling his charges to take nothing for granted.
Holding is happily retired. Botham is tasting wine. Miandad is spending time with his grandkids. Chappell comes nowhere near a cricket field these days. But Duleep, who’ll be 71 soon, is still hooked on cricket. He has not lost one bit of his passion for the great game. When it comes to cricket Duleep is a beast.
Oman are almost through to the second round. They have shocked Ireland and overcome UAE and have a pretty good Net Run Rate. Even if they lose today, a win over Scotland in their final group game should take them through.
What a brilliant investment Oman have made in picking Duleep as their Head Coach. Apparently, the Sheikhs there treat him like a King. Indeed, he deserves all the royalty treatment. A prophet, the bible says, is not welcomed in his own country.
Todd Murphy is firming to play his first home Test, after the SCG’s head curator declared the pitch’s green covering would be near-irrelevant come day one.
With administrators still on edge after last week’s two day debacle in Melbourne, an extremely green SCG surface raised eyebrows in Sydney on Thursday.
But chief curator Adam Lewis insisted on Friday that should not be a concern, and he was hopeful Sydney would extend into a fifth day.
“You want to see green tinge three days out,” Lewis said. “If you’re not seeing any live grass three days out, then that’s when it’s a worry, … I’m really comfortable with where we’re sitting.
“We had a little bit of sun this morning. They’re saying a bit more sun tomorrow. That will take the greenness out of the pitch. We’re really happy with the pitches at the moment. We’re looking good.”
Lewis admitted he felt for MCG counterpart Matt Page last week, but said he felt no external pressure to ensure the fifth Test in Sydney went the distance.
It’s estimated that Cricket Australia (CA) has lost in the vicinity of AUD15 million in profits this summer, with the opening Test in Perth also finishing inside two days.
Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joked at a function with teams on Thursday night that they had to ensure the game went to day three, in order to support the McGrath Foundation fundraiser.
One of the hardest grounds in the world to bowl on between 2014 and 2023, last year’s SCG Test was over in just two-and-a-half days.
Lewis said that his ground staff would go with 6mm of grass this year compared to 7mm last season, while also reducing its density. That in itself generally acts to flatten out the wicket and produce less movement, while also inviting the chance of spin late in the match.
“We just thought … we could thin our density out a little bit,” Lewis said. “That’s what we’ve done this year. We’ve practised that in the Shield matches and we’ve received very good marks.”
CA CEO Todd Greenberg said he too was confident the SCG Test would last the distance.
“I’ve had more phone calls and conversations about wickets and millimetres of grass than I thought I’d ever have,” Greenberg said. “But I’m hopeful and confident we will have a long and productive Test match here.”
All of which should spell good news for Murphy. Australia’s coaching staff had a prolonged conversation around the pitch on Friday morning, after leaving Murphy out and going with four quicks at the MCG.
Murphy then spent most of Friday’s training session bowling to Australia’s top order, while Alex Carey also had an extended run keeping to him.
With seven Tests to his name overseas, Murphy would be expected to come in for Jhye Richardson if he does play in Sydney.
England have promised to take the attack to Murphy, who played two Tests during the 2023 Ashes were he conceded 4.72 an over.
“Whoever plays, I think that’s the mantra of our team, is to try and put pressure on people,” opener Zak Crawley, said. “Todd’s a very good bowler, but I can envisage us trying to put some pressure on him, like we would all their bowlers.
That’s going to come with some risks, and if it’s turning it’s definitely going to be a threat. But I think we’ll try and put pressure on all their bowlers.”
The other question for Australia will be whether Cameron Green remains in the side, after Beau Webster was spotted fielding in the gully during slips training on Friday. Green has averaged 18.66 with the bat in this series. The SCG was the scene of Webster’s debut a year ago against India.
[Cricinfo]
Young Pramod Madushan has become the talk in cricket circles after he scored 42 runs in an over for Mercantile Services Cricket Academy against Sigi Cricket Academy at Ambalangoda recently.
In an over that contained nine deliveries, including two no-balls and a wide, Madushan cut loose hitting three fours and five sixes. In all, the over bowled by Bihandu Sandiv went for 45 runs.
The young cricketer from D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo shares the same name as Sri Lanka fast bowler Pramod Madushan. However, the 19-year-old is a wicketkeeper batter.
His knock of 103 came in just 38 deliveries and contained eight fours and ten sixes.
Australia batter Usman Khawaja will retire from international cricket following the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney this week.
The 39-year-old will play his 88th and final Test on the ground where he made his debut against the same opponents in January 2011.
Khawaja was born in Pakistan and became the first Muslim to play for Australia when he took the place of Ricky Ponting at the end of England’s 3-1 series win 15 years ago.
The left-hander has made 6,206 Test runs at an average of 43.39, with 16 hundreds.
He has played in six Ashes series – winning two, losing two and drawing two.
He was also part of the Australia team that won the World Test Championship in 2023.
The final Test at the SCG starts on Sunday (23:30 GMT, Saturday).
Alongside Steve Smith, Khawaja is one of two remaining members of the Australia team beaten by England in their most recent series win in this country in 2010-11.
He needs 30 runs in his final Test to go above Mike Hussey and into 14th on Australia’s all-time run-scorers list, behind the great Donald Bradman in 13th.
Khawaja played the last of his 40 one-day internationals in 2019, having scored 1,554 runs at 42. He played in nine T20 internationals, scoring 241 runs at 26.77.
Now playing domestically for Queensland, Khawaja will end his career on the ground that was his home when he first played professional cricket for New South Wales in 2008.
Often in and out of the Australia team during his Test career, he found a home at the top of the order during the previous home Ashes in 2021-22.
However, his place has come under scrutiny during this series after he suffered back spasms in the first Test that prevented him from opening.
Travis Head took Khawaja’s place in the second innings and made a swashbuckling century to lead Australia to an eight-wicket win.
Khawaja subsequently missed the second Test with the back problem and was due to be left out of the third, only to receive a late call-up when Steve Smith fell ill.
He made 82 and 40 in Adelaide to retain his place for the fourth Test. Australia lead the series 3-1.
After the Ashes Australia will not play another Test until August, by which time Khawaja will be almost 40.
[BBC]
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