It will merely be an understatement to state that Sri Lankan cricket is struggling. Long since Sangakkara retired, Sri Lankan cricket has gone into a tailspin. The rot is well and truly set. Sri Lankan cricket does seem to find a way out of the abyss that they find themselves in. Something is wrong with Sri Lankan cricket and it is extremely important for world cricket to help them.
Sri Lanka’s glorious past
There was a time, not in the distant past, when Sri Lanka were a force to reckon with. They were tough to be defeated in either test or ODIs in their own island and were among the top teams in the one day format. They transformed the way one day cricket must be played. The 1996 ODI World Cup showcased the abilities of Sri Lanka with Ranatunga leading from the front. Jayasurya and Kaluwitharana formed a formidable opening combination and were never perturbed by any bowling attack. All they were told was to attack right from the first over and they went about their job in a meticulous way. With Aravinda de Silva in the middle, Sri Lanka never were short of match winners. Sri Lankan cricket made chasing any target an art. Belligerent at the top followed by patient run accumulation in the middle.
The generation after Ranatunga and Aravinda, Sri Lanka were still a good side. It was perhaps the golden period for Sri Lanka. They had the likes of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and not to forgot their greatest match winner, Muthiah Muralitharan. They were so tough that at one stage, Sri Lanka was considered the best team in Asia. Infact, they won series in Pakistan and against India in their country and were able to brush aside Bangladesh. They won ODIs against all the Asian nations with alarming regularity. India and Pakistan found the going very tough against team from the island.
Youngsters failed to take Lankan cricket forward
Things have gone completely sideways over the last few years because Sri Lanka have become a shadow of themselves. Youngsters like Kusal Mendis didn’t really blossom into an international player of repute that he was expected to. Angelo Matthews, he had a great run for a couple of years and after that he is completely lost. The situation was so bad that Dinesh Chandimal, who made his debut before Matthews, was brought in as the captain to stem the rot. He wasn’t able to improve the picture any better.
Board in shambles, players are indisciplined
With a board that just does not want to change the way the game is run in the country or change its own ways, Sri Lankan cricket is just not able to churn players of international calibre. Results just aren’t coming their way. They lost to Bangladesh, South Africa and are well on their way to lose to England. Sri Lanka is unable to compete at the international level. Added to that, the available players have become burdensome on the team and the management.
3 players were found to have breached the bi-secure bubble in England. They were not only careless with their behaviour but they were a threat to the rest of the players in the squad. It only points to the fact that there is lack of discipline within the ranks. It has been allowed to fester. Severe punishment must be given to all the 3 players. Especially, Gunathilaka who is a habitual offender.
The recently appointed director of cricket
Tom Moody has been appointed as the director of Sri Lankan cricket. He says he has elaborate plans to revive Sri Lankan cricket. He wants to change the cricketing system in the country. Only time can tell whether it will bear fruit.
“One thing that becomes very clear from having done a lot of research and having had a lot of discussions with people who understand the first-class and domestic game here, is that it’s not a system that supports excellence,” Moody said.
Indian tour will help
It is a well known fact that the Lankan board is short of funds. The ongoing pandemic has made the situation critical. Under such circumstances, the Indian team will be travelling to the island for a series of limited overs international. This will certainly help the board to recoup some of the loss that they have suffered because of various problems. It is another matter that the Indian team is too strong and as such are expected to sweep the series. Remember, the same happened the last time India toured with a full squad. India won 9-0 across formats.
Similarly, other boards must also help Lankan cricket to come out of this mess. All said and done, if the Lankan board refuses to change, it will be impossible for Sri Lanka to regain their glory. Shammi Silva, the board president has claimed that the first class structure does not require any change because they won the 1996 World Cup with the same structure. Whether Tom Moody, Grant Flower & the coach Mickey Arthur will be able to inspire a turnaround remains to be seen.