Sports
Why back incorrigible Dickwella?
by Rex Clementine
Since the arrival of the new set of selectors, there has been a revival for the Sri Lankan team. Scorebooks say they have won five series inside two months, but what has happened behind the scenes has gone unnoticed.
Discipline and hard work are the buzz words in the new set up. The number of players who turn up for training during day offs is great to see. You also see seniors early at venues on match days to do their warm-ups. These are all good signs. There is a new culture within the team. But now that Niroshan Dickwella is in the side what will happen to that culture? It remains to be seen. Hopefully it’s not back to square one.
The selectors have taken so many steps in the right direction and their first mistake is to back Dickwella. Apparently, some harsh words had been spoken reminding Dickwella of the need to remain grounded, but if what we have seen from him all these years is an indication, this is a bad call. There’s enough evidence to suggest that here is one player who is impulsive and incorrigible. Someone who doesn’t want to learn or improve.
Why Sri Lanka has suffered for so long is because they were backing the players with wrong attitudes. Dickwella was one such. At the same time, they gave the cold shoulder to players like Sadeera Samarawickrama, who had all the right attitudes.
Dickwella is the most talented cricketer to play for Sri Lanka since Angelo Mathews. A confident and fearless cricketer you expected him to go places the moment he scooped a Kagiso Rabada thunderbolt clocked at over 150 kmph over the wicketkeeper’s head. But indiscipline curtailed his career.
Selection committees for a decade treated Dickwella with kids’ gloves. None tried to drive home the point that his casual attitude was unacceptable for a professional sportsman. How can you explain 54 Tests and no hundreds?
Dickwella is no fool by the way. He is a very intelligent man. Probably no one else in the team has read and understood Laws of Cricket than him. He should have been groomed as a captain but he himself ruined his career.
Such is his impulsive nature that bowlers get the better of him by playing with his ego. Here’s a classic example.
In Galle, in 2021, Dickwella was on 92 and James Anderson was playing with the batsman’s patience. He was operating with an extra cover and an unconventional fielder at wide mid-off. The trap had been set for the left-hander to drive. He could have seen off Anderson’s spell in a bid to reach his maiden Test hundred. But discipline is something in short supply for Dickwella and he ended up driving one straight to Jack Leach.
Such is his disruptive behavior that even when lady luck is smiling at him all day he can’t go on to score a hundred. Want another example. Here you go.
In Antigua in 2021, he was dropped at gully. Then he edged one and was caught down the leg-side but was not given out. In the same innings the ball rolled back into the stumps but the bails weren’t dislodged. He moved on to 96 and a maiden century was there for taking. Then there was a ball just outside the off-stump which he tried to cheekily send to third man region by opening the face of the bat and ended up dragging the ball onto the stumps. Anyone else would have been gutted with such a mode of dismissal. Not our man.
Dickwella has also cost the team dearly with his poor reviewing. Obviously he has got the best view and captains ask for his counsel. But due to his rashness rational is overtaken by emotions. There have been some games where he has burned reviews even before the team’s best bowler Rangana Herath had come on to bowl. To trust Dickwella with your reviews is like handing the Central Bank to Arjun Mahendran.
Why our cricket has suffered is that we have backed the wrong guys over the years. Dickwella has been a bad influence to the side and there is very little indication to suggest that he has changed. When he was finally axed in 2023 after an extended run we thought good riddance of bad rubbish. But now he is back. Is the circus back too?
Australia captain Alyssa Healy will retire from all forms of cricket following the upcoming series against India.
The 35-year-old wicket-keeper has more than 7,000 runs and 275 dismissals to her name in all formats of the game and led Australia to a historic 16-0 whitewash of England 8n the Ashes in 2025.
She has won the World Cup twice, with the highest individual score of 170 in a World Cup final coming against England in 2022, and the T20 World Cup on six occasions.
Healy said: “I’m still passionate about playing for Australia, but I’ve somewhat lost that competitive edge that’s kept me driven since the start, so the time feels right to call it a day.
“I’ll genuinely miss my team-mates, singing the team song and walking out to open the batting for Australia. Representing my country has been an incredible honour and I’m grateful for one last series in the green and gold.”
Healy is married to Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc and is the niece of another Australian great in wicket keeper Ian Healy. She also already has a successful broadcasting career as a pundit and commentator.
Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia CEO said: “Alyssa is one of the all-time greats of the game and has made an immeasurable contribution both on and off the field over her 15-year career.
“We look forward to celebrating her achievements throughout the series against India.”
Australia host India in a Test match, three one-day internationals and three T20 matches in February and March
(BBC Sports)
They began with a scrappy last-ball win to kick off WPL 2026, but there was nothing scrappy about Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) second win, over UP Warriorz, on Monday night.
Grace Harris tore into her former franchise with a breathtaking assault, sending the ball to all parts of the DY Patil Stadium. By the time she was out for a 40-ball 85, RCB needed just seven runs to win with 50 deliveries remaining.
In an effort similar to her opening-night honours, Lauren Bell swung the new ball and troubled Warriorz’s openers in her first two overs. In trying to break the stranglehold, Harleen Deol attempted to jailbreak in her third, but could only spoon a catch to Smriti Mandhana at mid-off for a 14-ball 11. And just like that, UP Warriorz had seen two different opening pairs come and go without giving them the start they were after.
She was denied a wicket in her first over – the sixth of the innings – when Meg Lanning’s swipe landed agonisingly short of Arundhati Reddy at backward square leg, but Shreyanka Patil had Lanning hack uncharacteristically to Radha Yadav at deep midwicket off her next.
In the same over, she also had a second wicket when Phoebe Litchfield flat-batted a short ball straight to Mandhana at mid-on, shortly after having reverse-swept her for six
Coming off a four-for and an unbeaten half-century against Mumbai Indians, de Klerk began with two wickets off her first two deliveries. Kiran Navgire fell first when she heaved a length ball to cow corner, while Shweta Sehrawat was brilliantly caught at backward point by Reddy. Warriorz were in all sorts of trouble at 50 for 5.
This was the perfect fire-and-ice combination on paper. But on Monday, they were both mellower and batted risk-free for much of their unbeaten 93-run partnership. Deandra Dottin signalled a change of intent when she went after Patil in her third over – the 15th – by muscling a length ball for six over long-on. That galvanised both batters to break free; Deepti Sharma gave the perfect finish by going after Patil in a 15-run final over that helped them finish with 143.
With two rookies in their top four, RCB could’ve chosen to play safe by having Gautami Naik partner Mandhana. But they took the aggressive route, and Harris justified that decision by muscling a 22-ball half-century as RCB wiped out 78 in the powerplay alone.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has opened an investigation and warned of possible disciplinary action for “unacceptable behaviour of players and officials” as they clashed on the pitch on Saturday at the end of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarterfinal between Algeria and Nigeria.
“CAF has referred the matters to the disciplinary board for investigation and has called for appropriate action to be taken if the identified persons were to be found guilty of any wrongdoing,” said African football’s governing body in a statement on Monday.
Tensions spilled over on the pitch at the end of the January 10 game in Marrakesh, Morocco, which Nigeria won 2-0 thanks to second-half goals by Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams.
Referee Issa Sy was shielded from irate Algeria team staff and was escorted off the field. Video clips showed Sy was still being pursued in the mixed zone for media and broadcasters as he made his way to his cabin.
Any disciplinary action could have an impact on the Super Eagles as they prepare for their semifinal showdown on Wednesday against Morocco.
“CAF strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour which occurs during matches, especially those targeting the refereeing team or match organisers,” CAF said.
Video showed accredited media fighting in the mixed zone as they waited for players to pass through for interviews after the match.
Algeria’s federation also confirmed it had filed a complaint with CAF over Sy’s performance
“The Algerian Football Federation cannot ignore the refereeing performance observed during the last match, which raised numerous questions and caused considerable confusion,” it said in a statement.
“Certain decisions have damaged the credibility of African refereeing and do nothing to enhance the value of continental football on the international stage.”
CAF said it was also investigating incidents in Friday’s last-eight tie between the hosts and Cameroon.
Morocco won that game 2-0 in Rabat, Morocco, and the Indomitable Lions were notably unhappy at the officiating in particular the refusal to award them a penalty for a challenge on Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo in the second half.
(BBC Sports)
Australia great Alyssa Healy to retire from cricket
Meta blocks 550,000 accounts under Australia’s social media ban
Grace Harris’ day out helps RCB thump Warriorz
AFCON 2025 organisers investigate clashes at Nigeria, Morocco games
BCB’s integrity unit finds ‘credible suspicion’ during BPL
Devine’s 95 trumps Lee, Wolvaardt fifties in see-saw thriller
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News2 days agoSajith: Ashoka Chakra replaces Dharmachakra in Buddhism textbook
-
Business2 days agoDialog and UnionPay International Join Forces to Elevate Sri Lanka’s Digital Payment Landscape
-
Features2 days agoThe Paradox of Trump Power: Contested Authoritarian at Home, Uncontested Bully Abroad
-
News7 days agoInterception of SL fishing craft by Seychelles: Trawler owners demand international investigation
-
Features2 days agoSubject:Whatever happened to (my) three million dollars?
-
News2 days agoLevel I landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya extended
-
News7 days agoBroad support emerges for Faiszer’s sweeping proposals on long- delayed divorce and personal law reforms
-
News2 days agoNational Communication Programme for Child Health Promotion (SBCC) has been launched. – PM