Sports
Where is the accountability?
by Rex Clementine
Being held accountable for the decisions you make is not just an area pertaining to the corporate world but to every walk of life. If you behave in an irresponsible manner not only do you get kicked out from a club, even your relatives tend to distance you. The only species that seem to be exempted from this rule are the selectors.
The current national selection panel resumed its tenure with a highly publicized fitness regime. They looked to be targeting some of the seniors but to their credit, the seniors fell in line meeting minimum fitness standards. Then, inexplicably they were kicked out from white-ball cricket as the selectors launched a youth policy.
Risk-taking is part of the job of selectors. But they should not behave like a bull in a China shop. There’s no point in burning bridges.
Leading up to the last World Cup, the selection panel at that point realized that one of the problems the national cricket team faced was that they were unable to bat out 50 overs. They realized that someone who could play the anchor role was needed and Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne was not only brought back to play ODI cricket after a five-year hiatus, he was made captain as well.
Dimuth was a limited ODI cricketer but he did a decent job both as captain and opening batsman. But the current selection panel ended that experiment without doing proper research. It was like the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government terminating the Light Railways project.
Now we are feeling the pinch with the Sri Lankan team getting bowled out for totals like 73 and 76 in back-to-back ODIs unable to last 20 overs leave alone 50.
The selectors’ much hyped-up fitness regime has been thrown out of the window as well. When the fitness protocol was started the media was constantly kept in the loop as to how the players fared in their fitness drills, but now it is a well-kept secret. Wonder why? That’s because some of the selectors’ pets have failed miserably to maintain fitness standards.
Why the national cricket team fared so badly in the T-20 World Cup in Australia last year was because they carried players who had failed fitness tests. We challenge the selectors to deny our story.
The selectors’ tenure should have ended soon after the T-20 World Cup as Danushka Gunathilaka was arrested in Sydney. The selectors had blundered by retaining their blue-eyed boy on tour even though he was injured. Eventually, he brought the nation shame and condemnation as New South Wales police arrested him moments after Sri Lanka were knocked out of the World Cup. It will be interesting to find out whether Danushka also had failed fitness tests last year although the selectors kept picking him.
Now that Sri Lanka have failed to qualify for the World Cup directly, there needs to be fresh thinking that will ensure there are no more mess-ups during the qualifying round and you pick a team that lasts 50 overs, not one that becomes an international shame unable to last 20 overs.
Yes, Sri Lanka did win the Asia Cup in the T-20 format under the current selectors’ watch but instead of that success becoming a springboard for higher achievements, they became cocky and thought everything was tickety-boo tolerating unfit and undisciplined players.
There’s very little progress you are going to make in any walk of life without discipline.
Ireland Women 118/9 in 20 overs (Alana Dalzelle 14, Orla Prendergast 26, Leah Paul 10, Alice Tector 10, Louise Little 26*; Lauren Bell 1-39, Linsey Smith 1-20, Sophie Ecclestone 3-22, Charlie Dean 2-11, Dani Gibson 2-10) lost to England Women 119/6 in 17.3 overs (Dani Wyatt Hodge 16, Nat Sciver-Brunt 48, Heather Knight 26; Aimee Maguire 2-23, Orla Prendergast 2-17) by 4 wickets
Lionel Messi marked his record sixth World Cup appearance with his first hat-trick at a FIFA tournament as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 to open the defence of their global crown, he also became the joint highest scorer at World Cups with the feat.
The former 38-year-old forward thought he had opened the scoring in the eighth minute in Kansas City on Tuesday when he slotted home from close range, but the offside flag was raised.
The dream start to his record-setting appearance, which will be matched by Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal against DR Congo on Wednesday, was not to be denied for long though.
A trademark, mazy run was capped by a drive on the edge of the box from that famed left foot. The power too much for Algeria keeper Luca Zidane, son of World Cup winner with France, Zinidine.
Messi doubled his tally on the hour mark with a simple tap in from a rebound off the keeper following a drive from Alexis Mac Allister.
The moment that even a player as decorated as Messi came in the 76th minute when he drilled low past the keeper from just outside the box.
The strike took Messi level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals.
His substitution came just three minutes later to a standard ovation, even old maestro seemed disappointed to be removed – and most likely rested for Argentina’s tilt at becoming only the third side to defend a World Cup title.
Algeria – the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winners – offered little, but were themselves denied an early goal when Fares Chaibi’s ninth minute strike was ruled out for offside.
Messi saw to it that there was no opening game upset to be had tat this edition, having lost their opening game at Qatar 2022 to Saudi Arabia.
Messi, who spent the majority of his club career in Spain with Barcelona before moving to French giants Paris-Saint Germain, plys his trade in US football’s Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
Jordan and Austria open their account in the group later on Tuesday in San Francisco.
[Aljazeera]
Iran twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with New Zealand in an exciting World Cup clash at Los Angeles Stadium as protests against Tehran’s government and a peace deal signed to end the US-Iran war formed a charged backdrop to the match.
High security presence and protests outside the venue were among the off-field concerns surrounding the match on Monday.
And when New Zealand took an early lead through Elijah Just’s volleyed shot from inside the box, after being set up by Chris Wood, some fans critical of the Iranian government celebrated with New Zealand supporters.
Many of these anti-regime spectators also carried Iran’s pre-Islamic Revolution Lion and Sun flag, against FIFA’s rules. Several also booed Iran’s national anthem before kickoff.
But most of the crowd of more than 70,000 appeared firmly behind Team Melli, chanting “Ir-ran! Ir-ran!” and erupting when Ramin Rezaeian equalised shortly after the half-hour mark.
Rezaeian, one of several Iran players who had not played club football since February after the domestic league was suspended amid US and Israeli air strikes, reacted quickest to a blocked shot and poked the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.
Wood and Just combined again early in the second half, the New Zealand captain sliding a precise pass into the 26-year-old forward’s path before Just hammered home to restore the All Whites’ lead.
Iran responded 10 minutes later with a superb goal from Mohammad Mohebbi, who headed Rezaeian’s perfect cross in off the far post to make it 2-2.
The stalemate means all the teams in Group G have one point after Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt earlier on Monday.
New Zealand, making their third appearance at the tournament, remain without a win at a World Cup after seven matches. Iran are looking to reach the knockout round for the first time.
The match laid bare divisions among Iranian American fans, many of whom said they felt torn between pride at seeing Iran on the sport’s biggest stage, anger over Tehran’s crackdown on protesters and concern over Washington’s bombing campaign.
Before kickoff, about 300 to 500 protesters gathered outside the stadium, waving anti-government signs and flags.
Some Iranian Americans had said attending the match would imply support for Iran’s government, while others said they wanted to set politics aside and support the players.
Iran will next return to Los Angeles to face Belgium on Sunday when New Zealand take on Egypt in Vancouver.
[Aljazeera]
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