Sports

Eran’s Achilles heel; the selectors

Published

1 month ago

2026/08/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Selectors’ arrogance could cost Cricket Transformation Committee dearly.

by Rex Clementine

The Cricket Transformation Committee headed by Eran Wickramaratne has received much praise for the manner in which it has gone about its business since being put in charge earlier this year. While bringing transparency and accountability to the affairs of Sri Lanka Cricket, an institution criticised for years over corruption and waste, the committee has also kept its eye on its primary task: drafting a new constitution for the administration of the game.

While most aspects have moved along smoothly, one area has seriously lagged behind; selection.

Selection is one of the most important cogs in the wheel of any cricket administration. The administrators may be doing wonders, but if those entrusted with picking teams do not live up to expectations, the whole machinery can come crashing down.

It is a little like the Yahapalana government that Eran himself was part of. It came in with good intentions, promising transparency, accountability and the wellbeing of the public. But the moment Arjun Mahendran was chosen to head the Central Bank, things began to unravel spectacularly. Is the same fate awaiting Eran’s cricket committee because of its selectors ?

Sadly, the harsh lessons from the West Indies appear not to have been learnt.

Although the Sri Lankan squad for the Test against India later this week has already assembled in Galle, the selectors are yet to announce the team to the public. We know, of course, that squads require the Sports Minister’s approval before they can be released. But some selectors have perfected the art of seeking approval at the eleventh hour, thereby conveniently escaping public scrutiny before a series begins.

Kapila Wijegunawardene surprised many when he picked Niroshan Dickwella in the Sri Lanka ‘A’ squad to face India in June. At a time when India were blooding 15-year-old wonderkids, our selectors were falling back on players in the twilight of their careers for an ‘A’ team. It was hardly evidence of forward planning. More worryingly, it gave the impression that the selectors were completely out of touch.

Being out of touch is one thing. Remaining so by choice is quite another.

If you have been away from the system for some time, there is no shame in consultation. Speak to those who have been around. Ask the coaches. Talk to recently retired players. Seek the views of people who watch domestic cricket week in, week out. Humility is no weakness when you are entrusted with shaping the future of the national team.

The manner in Dickwella has now been parachuted into the Test squad sends all the wrong signals.

Let us not forget why he was dropped in the first place. His wicketkeeping had become sloppy. Costly errors during the tour of New Zealand in 2023 contributed to him losing his place. Now, three years later, he finds himself back in the fold without having accomplished anything substantial enough to demand a recall.

The fact that Dickwella is 33 only strengthens the impression that Sri Lanka are moving backwards rather than forwards.

His selection becomes even harder to understand when you consider that the selectors did not play him in the warm-up game. The other contender, young Anjala Bandara, has been scoring heavily and was given an opportunity in the warm-up match. He failed there and was promptly discarded. That is hardly fair selection.

Bandara is 22 and certainly one for the future. Given the promise he has shown so early in his career, surely the sensible approach is to back him rather than punish him for one failure. That too at the expense of Dickwella. One problem that Sri Lanka’s batters have is that they are unable to bat for long hours. Bandara has shown that he has the patience to see off a couple of sessions.

Then there is Sadeera Samarawickrama. He kept wickets for Sri Lanka before the selectors handed the gloves to Kusal Mendis in order to balance the side. Sadeera hardly disgraced himself when he played Test cricket for Sri Lanka. If the selectors believe Bandara is too raw, would not Sadeera be the more logical choice?

There seems to be precious little logic in the selectors’ thinking. As Kumar Sangakkara once observed, like God, selectors move in mysterious ways.

There are also two prolific young batters knocking on the door in Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Pavan Rathnayake. The time is ripe for one of them to become part of the Test set-up. Why not play one as a batter when there are several wicketkeeping options already in the squad; Kamil Mishara, Nishan Madushka and Dinesh Chandimal?

And please spare us the excuse that none of them keeps wickets regularly for his club. This is a temporary arrangement until Kusal Mendis returns, not a ten year succession plan.

As for Dickwella, we have seen the full package over the years. He has played 54 Tests and there are claims that he remains the best wicketkeeper in the country. Some of us remain unconvinced.

A man who once carried that title with considerable distinction was Prasanna Jayawardene. He was a far superior wicketkeeper and into the bargain, scored four Test hundreds. Dickwella has none.

That is not because Dickwella lacks the skill to make big scores. Far from it. He possesses an abundance of talent. What has too often been missing is discipline. His attitude towards building an innings has repeatedly let him down.

Too often he has thrown away promising starts, harming both himself and the team. Successive selection committees persevered with him in the hope that he would eventually make the most of his considerable talent. That promise remained unfulfilled.

There have also been concerns about his influence within the team environment. Those who doubt that can consult team manager Mahinda Halangoda and draw their own conclusions. Then there was the suspension he received following a positive cocaine test in 2024.

Against that background, it is difficult to understand what exactly the selectors are trying to achieve by returning to Dickwella.

Sri Lankan cricket is supposed to be undergoing transformation. Transformation means looking ahead, identifying the next generation and giving talented young players the confidence that performances in domestic cricket will be rewarded.

It does not mean reaching into the cupboard and pulling out an option that has already been tried 54 times.

Eran Wickramaratne and his committee have done much to earn goodwill since taking charge. They should be careful that poor selection does not squander it. The Yahapalana government learnt the hard way that one disastrous appointment can undo a mountain of good intentions.

With friends like Kapila, Eran doesn’t need enemies.

All News Advertisement

Sports

HFC girls set new meet record at Relay Championship

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/11

Thilina Walpola

Holy Family Convent team with coaches and school staff

Holy Family Convent produced an impressive performance at the 4th Hiru Relay Championship 2026, with their Under-12 girls’ 4×100 metres relay team clinching the gold medal while establishing a new meet record.

The championship, held at the Diyagama Stadium on August 2 and 3, saw the HFC quartet race to victory in an impressive 56.94 seconds.

The successful squad comprised Fiona Botheju, Shenumi Fernando, Saasha Perera, Nicola Garninghe, Divinita Joel and Finoli Botheju.

The athletes were guided by HFC Athletic Head Coach Roy Samantha, Primary School Athletic Coach Thushara Fernando and Assistant Athletic Coach Ms. Lalana Iranganie.

Also supporting the team were Sports Coordinator Shavini Silva and Sports Teacher Indika Wijesekara, while the school administration was represented by Principal Rev. Sr. Charitha Thandalge and Primary School Principal Rev. Sr. Celina de Silva.

Sports

DDS set to lose Test captaincy

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/11

Thilina Walpola

Dhananjaya de Silva

By Rex Clementine

The axe is set to fall on Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva following his uninspiring leadership during Sri Lanka’s 1-0 series defeat to India at home last month.

Sri Lanka’s next assignment in the World Test Championship is a two-Test series in Pakistan and The Island learns that Dhananjaya is unlikely to lead the side. More significantly, he could even find himself fighting to retain his place in the XI.

Although Dhananjaya served as Dimuth Karunaratne’s deputy for a couple of years, there was always a feeling that when Dimuth’s long tenure as Test captain ended (2019-2024), Dhananjaya inherited the job largely by default rather than through a carefully planned succession.

For too long, Sri Lanka’s selectors had stopped grooming future captains. Leadership was handed down largely on seniority, leaving precious little opportunity to identify and develop the next generation of leaders.

Dhananjaya’s tenure has done little to silence those concerns. Off the field, he has often appeared aloof and laid back; on it, he has struggled to stamp his authority, too often allowing games to drift rather than forcing the issue.

His tactics during the two Tests against India came under particular scrutiny. Sri Lanka went defensive with the ball far too early on several occasions, surrendering the initiative instead of attempting to wrest it back.

Admittedly, Dhananjaya does not possess an arsenal that allows him to call the shots like an Ian Chappell or Clive Lloyd. But captains such as Arjuna Ranatunga and Sourav Ganguly showed that limited resources need not prevent a leader from imposing himself on a contest.

Those are admittedly enormous boots to fill, but at the very least Dhananjaya was expected to be more assertive.

The Island learns that the selectors contemplated a change midway through the India series but were persuaded against it by Head Coach Gary Kirsten. What appears increasingly clear, however, is that Dhananjaya’s days as captain are numbered and the selectors may not wait until the end of the current World Test Championship cycle to pull the trigger.

Chief Selector Kapila Wijegunawardene was asked at Wednesday’s media briefing about Dhananjaya’s defensive captaincy, but played a straight bat, saying it was too early to comment. Behind closed doors, however, the former Sri Lanka seamer is understood to favour a change.

That leaves the selectors with an awkward question of their own: who takes over?

Having failed to groom a successor, they are now searching for someone to assume the reins immediately, a problem that should have been addressed long before the captaincy reached this crossroads.

White ball captain Kusal Mendis is one of the front runners, along with Kamindu Mendis, although the latter was recently stripped of the vice-captaincy after being appointed deputy across all three formats in June.

There are understood to be concerns among the authorities over Kamindu’s attitude, with his removal from the vice-captaincy intended to send a clear message that no player is indispensable.

Charith Asalanka is another name in the frame, although he has not played a Test in more than four years and at present, would struggle to command a place in the side. A productive limited overs series in England, however, could strengthen his case considerably.

Then there is the intriguing fourth option Sonal Dinusha.

Young and relatively raw at international level, Dinusha has captained CCC with considerable success over the past couple of years and is understood to possess many of the leadership qualities the selectors are searching for.

A keen student of the game, Dinusha’s cricketing nous and the qualities he has brought to the dressing room have impressed the team management. The selectors may decide that handing him the reins now is a gamble too, but his name being seriously discussed is itself significant.

Should they take the plunge, Dinusha could become the second youngest Sri Lankan to captain the Test side after Angelo Mathews.

Sports

Royal, S. Thomas’ clash for U17 Division I cricket title

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/11

Thilina Walpola

Royal College Team

An intriguing battle is on the cards when arch rivals Royal College, Colombo and S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia meet to decide the Under-17 Division I Inter-School title in the final today.

‎The final brings together two sides that have truly dominated the knockout stage and now stand one victory away from claiming the premier school Under-17 title.

‎Royal, led by Dushen Udawela, entered the semi-final with an impressive knockout record, having eliminated Sri Sumangala Kandy, St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road, Isipatana College and Wesley College Colombo on their way to the last four. Their consistency throughout the tournament has made them one of the strongest contenders for the title.

‎S. Thomas’ have been equally impressive. Reshon Solomons, who leads the Mount Lavinia side, has guided the Thomians through victories over Dharmasoka, Ambalangoda, Mahinda Galle , Dharmaraja Kandy and Trinity College Kandy.

‎The strength of both teams was underlined by their paths to the semi-finals. Royal had to overcome three established schools, while S. Thomas’ also came through a demanding series of knockout matches. That makes today’s final a contest between two sides with plenty of confidence and momentum.

‎Royal will look to Udawela to provide leadership in what is expected to be a pressure-filled contest, while the Thomians will depend on Solomons and their senior players to keep their challenge on course.

S. Thomas’ College Team

‎The final also gives both schools an opportunity to add another chapter to their long cricketing rivalry. With the Under-17 Division I title at stake, neither side is likely to give ground easily.

‎‎Teams:

‎Royal College (from): Dushen Udawela (Captain), Sandul Abeywardene, Mahiru Kodithuwakku, Gagan Gamage, Manuth Dissanayake, Mudith Gunasekara, Chanithu Kankanamge, Javeeth Perera, Ranuda Ranasinghe, Nithesh Jayasinghe, Saven Gamage, Thenuja Bandara, Thenuka Balasooriya, Thenula Weragala, Sithum Sathsara, Budmina Gunawardane,.

‎Officials: Sandun Weerasooriya (Master in Charge), Gamini Perera (Head Coach), Prageeth Ferdinando (Asst. Coach), Charith Fernando (Asst. Coach), Kasun Madusanka (Asst. Coach)

‎‎S. Thomas’ College (from):

Reshon Solomons (Captain), Stevon Peiris, Methuka Gunarathne, Sarindu Sugathadasa, Kevin Gunaseela, Prabash Jayawickrama, Kushen Perera, Vihas Peiris, T.D. Kakulandara, Tharul Jayasuriya, Shaven Fernando, Shenuk Fernando, Seelan Aathithya, D.S. Janath, R.P.P.B. Randunu, P. W.G.B.M.A. De Silva.

‎Officials:

Kapila de Silva (Master in Charge), Nilanka Peiris (Head Coach), Pasan Wanasinghe (Consultant Coach), Omalka Fernando (Asst. Coach).