Sports
Let the selectors not fool us
by Rex Clementine
Are you not surprised that after Danushka Gunathilaka’s arrest in Sydney no one has resigned. Ideally, the National Selection Committee and Team Manager should have stepped down, but they are hanging on as if nothing happened. The team management clearly lost control of the players during the World Cup and it remains to be seen the outcome of the probe that has been launched.
There is a wide difference between an independent probe and an in-house probe. Afterall, when an independent probe was launched last time, the judge had recommended a two-year suspension on Danushka Gunathilaka. But it was reduced to six months. By sparing the rod the authorities spoilt the child.
Danushka was injured having played just one game. That was on the 16th of October. The physiotherapist had told the team management that he should be fine in five days’ time but even when they were in Perth ten days later, he had not recovered. Anyway, a decision had been taken to replace Danushka with Ashen Bandara. The team management at least at this point should have sent him home especially with additional replacements arriving from Colombo to be standby just in case there were further injuries.
With Danushka the team is always flirting with danger. Watching the team train from the sidelines in Sydney where you get a first-hand glimpse of how players go about things; you know his focus is not on cricket. So, how people who see him day in and day out failed to detect the same is mind-blowing.
Had Danuhska been in good form the selectors had ground to argue. His form was horrendous, just one double figure score in the last five innings and the last half-century coming in May 2021, that is 20 innings without a half-century, strange for a top order batter.
The other strange selection was that of Jeffrey Vandersay. The leg-spinner was a mere passenger not even playing a warm-up game in Australia. With Sri Lanka’s chances of going through to the semi-finals over, you at least thought that he would be given a break for the dead-rubber against England in Sydney. It was a track tailor-made for spin. However, they brought in Chamika Karunaratne, who had been dropped for the earlier game. Then, Chamika did not even get to bowl. It was a comedy of errors. The national cricket team deserves better than what’s been happening now. There’s lack of clarity and transparency in selections. What is worse is that there has been little communication on the decisions that have been taken.
Having come in with a highly publicized fitness regime, the selectors convinced the public that they will kick out anyone who failed to meet minimum fitness standards. It has turned out to be a publicity stunt. Part of the problem why so many players broke down during the World Cup was because they had dodged fitness tests. It now emerges that since the Asia Cup, fitness tests were not done on the requests of certain players. Players dictating terms and selection criteria is recipe for disaster. That’s what we witnessed during the World Cup.
Danushka’s incident took attention from Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign. Effectively, the team managed just four wins and failed to beat any of the top billed teams. In fact, they suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Namibia.
Sri Lanka’s top order clicked but the middle order was a flop. Had the middle order fired, the team could have beaten England which means they wouldn’t have gone onto win the World Cup. Sri Lanka could have also given Australia a closer run had the middle order clicked.
We are on the verge of a three-match limited overs series at Pallekele against Afghanistan and it is crucial for the team to gain automatic qualification for The World Cup. The selectors need to tell us as to why they think that the team is better off without someone like Angelo Mathews.
You have just finished a tournament where your middle order had been found wanting, should you not set your pride aside and be pragmatic and recall your senior-most batter?
One thing that you expect when selectors back young blood is that fielding to be top class. However, the current team’s fielding has been a letdown and the presence of a senior player is not going to adversely affect the team.
Sidath Wettimuny is the prime example of managing players when he was Chairman of Selectors. He introduced a similar aggressive youth policy after a poor World Cup campaign in 1999. However, he did not burn bridges. He kept the doors open for the seniors to bounce back and when the need arose they were accommodated. There were no grudges between him and players. As a result, Aravinda de Silva and Hashan Thilakaratne, who were both axed after the 1999 World Cup, were back in the team for the 2003 World Cup and Aravinda bowed off with his head held high.
Sri Lanka won the toss and choose to field first in the 4th match of the ODI tri-series
India are unchanged from the XI that played against South Africa. Sri Lanka are also playing the same side that beat South Africa on Friday.
Sri Lanka Women: Chamari Athapaththu (capt.), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Dewmini Vihanga, Malki Madara, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera.
India Women: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt.), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, N Shree Charani
Sri Lanka’s First-Class cricket has long cried out for reform, and finally, some bold strokes are being played. The playing field has been trimmed down in recent seasons – deadwood cleared to raise the stakes. But the googly of the season was the axing of SSC, the grand old club with a trophy cabinet full of stars. It raised eyebrows, but the message from the top was loud and clear – no room for reputation alone. The long-term plan? Slim the domestic First-Class circuit to a lean, mean ten-team league. That’s a shot well worth taking.
Towering above the club scene is the National Super League (NSL), now firmly established as the litmus test for national selection. This year’s edition went down to the wire, with Galle emerging champions on a first-innings lead over Dambulla in a rain-hit final at SSC – a draw on the scorecard, but a win on the balance sheet.
One man who set the NSL ablaze was Ravindu Rasantha de Silva. The former Sri Lanka U-19 and S. Thomas’ College opener piled on the runs like a man on a mission – 563 runs at a Bradmanesque average of 93, with three centuries and a mammoth 206 not out, the tournament’s highest score. He didn’t just knock on the selectors’ door – he’s banging it down.
Another comeback kid was Pathum Nissanka, who had been on a bit of a lean patch in both Test and First Class cricket. But he cashed in with a double ton that may have just saved his Test spot ahead of the Bangladesh series.
Oshada Fernando and Avishka Fernando, old boys of St. Sebastian’s College, also came to the party, finding form at just the right time. The two Fernandos were among the few batters who batted with intent and purpose – a welcome sign with a new Test cycle on the horizon.
But if there was one player who bowled his heart out, it was Akila Dananjaya. The off-spinner spun a web around batsmen, grabbing 37 wickets – a staggering stat considering the next best tally was a mere 15. Akila’s showing could tempt selectors into throwing him a red-ball lifeline, but caution must be the watchword. His history with suspect actions is no secret. Unless his remodelled action is rock solid, the call-up could backfire.
One of the most heartening takeaways from this year’s NSL was seeing players traditionally pigeonholed as white-ball specialists embracing the grind of the longer format. Charith Asalanka skippered Colombo and anchored the innings when it mattered, while Dunith Wellalage was the real revelation – batting like a top-six player and bowling with the guile of a veteran. With a batting average of 39 and bowling average of 19, the all-rounder ticked every box. He may not earn a Test cap just yet, but he’s definitely warming up in the nets for future call-ups.
The story doesn’t end at home. Several NSL stars carried their form overseas, donning Sri Lanka ‘A’ colours in the UAE and delivering the goods. Against Afghanistan ‘A’, the likes of Lahiru Udara and Sonal Dinusha struck hundreds in the first innings, while Nuwanindu Fernando, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, and Pavan Ratnayake joined the party with second-innings tons.
On the bowling front, Isitha Wijesundara stole the spotlight with a ten-wicket match bag – a performance worthy of a standing ovation.
With Dimuth Karunaratne’s retirement and four consecutive Test defeats hanging over the national team like a dark cloud, there’s no time for sentiment. The selectors need to pad up and make bold calls. The new World Test Championship cycle kicks off in June, and if ever there was a time to blood fresh talent, it’s now.
by Rex Clementine
From fighting hemoglobin defdeficiency to creating national records
Kelaniya University undergraduate Rasara Wijesuriya is set to become the first Sri Lankan female athlete to compete in the two longest track events at the Asian Athletics Championship outside Sri Lanka. The athlete trained by veteran coach Sajith Jayalal established a new national record in the 10,000 metres in February this year prompting track and field authorities to shortlist her for the May 27-31 event taking place in Gumi, South Korea. Incidentally, it will be her first competition outside the country after the postponement of the South Asian Athletics Championship for which she was first selected.
“It is an exciting prospect as I have not competed outside Sri Lanka,” Rasara told The Sunday Island.
Hailing from Ampara, Rasara first reached national level when she won the 800m and 1500m at the Eastern Province Schools Athletics championships following which she received a sports scholorship at Ratnayake Central Walala for her A/L studies. However, at Walala she was diagnosed with a hemoglobin deficiency and had to stop training on medical advice.
“I did not train from February to August that year. I think the hemoglobin deficiency was due to lack of nutrition. I started training under Sajith Sir in 2023,” replied the 22 year old.
It is remarkable to note an athlete who had to stop training for low hemoglobin counts improving in a short time to shatter national records in gruelling long distance events.
In February, Rasara broke US based athlete Hiruni Wijayaratne’s 10,000m national record (33:55.04 secs) with a feat of 33:39.60 seconds.
From the early 90s the Sri Lanka National record of the 10,000m had remained with Sujeewa Nilmini Jayasena until Hiruni erased it in the last decade. The record breaking feat in February has firmly established Rasara as the athlete to beat in every distance from 5000m to Cross Country races in Sri Lanka. At the Asian level she will have a tough ask with seasoned runners of the region and African born distance runners competing for Middle Eastern country joining the frey.
Some of Sri Lanka’s legendary athletes have been associated with the 5000m and the 10,000m success at Asian level. In his day S.L.B Rosa turned tables on Japanese favourites to win a gold double in these events at the Asian Games. But at the Asian Championships, the flagship event organised by the regional federation no male athlete has won a medal in any of these events. Sujeewa Nilmini Jayasena became the first athlete to win a medal for Sri Lanka in these events when she clocked 34 minutes and 47 seconds to finish second in the 10,000 m at the 2003 edition in Manila.
Not many Sri Lakan female athletes pursuing long distance events have succeeded outside Sri Lanka. In fact Sri Lanka had not fielded female athletes for the gruelling events at the Asian Championships untill the country hosted the biennial event in 2002.
As the host country, Sri Lanka had the luxury of fielding three athletes each for every discipline. While D.A. Inoka competed in both the 5000m and the 10,000m, Sujeewa Nilmini made her Championship debut in the 10,000m in Colombo. According to Sri Lanka Athletics statistics H.M.W.K. Herath (5,000m), Kanchanamala Udagedara (5,000m) and M.A. Chandrawathie (10,000m) were the others to have competed for the hosts.
That was the only occation when more than one female athlete competed for Sri Lanka in these disciplnes. That was also the only occation one female athlete (D.A. Inoka) competed in both events. With Sri Lanka Athletics opting for medal winning standards to send athletes for overseas events in recent times not many athletes got opportunities to compete at Asian level in the longest track events. Rasara will be aiming to make her overseas debut a memmorable one.
by Reemus Fernando
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