Where are the Gentlemen in Cricket?
I sometimes feel ashamed to be a Sri-Lankan.
There are hundred of reasons but I will list only a few.
1. Our politicians lie blatantly and what is worse is that they are proud of it.
2. Sri-Lankan including politician do not work on a schedule or on at least a flexible Time Table.
Our politicians only have private agenda.
Good example is our ethnic issue we are prolonging and procrastinating (both sides).
3. We have the most ugly constitution in the world, and generation of politicians who promise to change it abrogate their responsibility.
4. Then, the Buddhist Insurgency (that is how I wish to call it unfortunately), the latest fashion, Buddhist monks have taken over police duty while our policemen will kill suspects not convicted arbitrarily.
The explanation generally is that they were taken to a hide out / dug out and were exploring hidden weapons and the suspect got hold of a weapon and attempted to kill a policeman.
This is kids stuff and explanation.
5. I never thought, cricket will be on this list.
Let me explain why I do not watch cricket now.
One of our ex-minister of sports was known to have used his goons to kill university students.
That was his sports, primitive hunter gatherer mentality.
Another was good at rigging polls at massive scale.
Rigging vote was his sports.
He also had a penchant for female athletes.
Another one was a thug who suppressed the voting rights of minority.
Thuggery was his sports.
I have dealt with many other issues especially mass scale corruption in building new cricketing venues and plundering money even in laying Grass not on the cricketing turf but he was a TURF man by default.
Only reason we became proud was cricket.
That was because of winning the World Cup.
I have a prediction, that we will not go beyond quarter final in 2015.
I need not analyze the reasons.
When cricketers become politicians (except Arjuna Ranatunga), they think they can use their influence to win games by hook or by crook.
That was what happened in England.
Win the game by hook or by crook.
He was supposed to be coming from a premier Buddhist School (when we look at some monks this is not an aberration) in Colombo.
He was under scrutiny for his balling action.
He should have been prudent in his selection and choice of activities on the field.
He wanted become a hero and actually became a minion in front of ardent Sri-Lankan expatriates.
I am not defending the English cricketer.
I am ashamed of the umpires too.
They could have been proactive after the first warning.
They did not.
Many of their umpiring decisions were pretty bad.
Sri-Lankan captain should have been conscious of the fact that his team mate was under scrutiny and he could have pulled him out of the deep end of the pool.
He did not.
He allowed him to sink in disgrace.
One of the reasons, I think is that the Sri-Lankans do not have self belief of winning, even in such a low key match.
The glory of the winning was under the dark sky, just like the typical weather in spring in England.
If they do not have that self belief how can they win the World Cup?
Cricket sometimes is a mind game, the present day cricketing is noted for its lack.
Not dirty tricks under the carpet.
For some unknown reason, I felt he was not ready for the top job and now I feel he is not good at shepherding the minnows (size of the country not the population).
He was predicted as the most valued player in the last world cup.
He could not complete and compete at the last world cup.
He will be in the next world cup.
He will surly burn out well before the final stages of the game.
He comes as a baller and only balls when the conditions suit him and not the team.
He does not believe in his balling.
How can he give confidence to younger players when he himself does not have confidence?
That is the bottom line.
When he balls he might get blasted but then as the captain he can withdraw himself easily which option Malinga does not have.
I am not suggesting Malinga is a better choice.
Good player does not become a good captain.
Good example is Cook.
England is ruining his talent but they have many talented players and during the next few months they will find a good captain.
Unfortunately, we do not have a pool (for captaincy).
Like politicians our cricketers will slit the next one in line and I do not think we play as a team.
Every player is trying to secure his place and secure his pocket with money not glory.
I am sorry, Sri-Lankan cricket lovers, for my scathing remarks.
I will not write anymore on Sri-Lankan cricket.
That was my resolve for many years now.
But keeping silent is very bad.
That is why our politics is in ruins (on the field and outside).
I am writing on behalf of the spectators not on behalf of the cricketers.
I do not care for them now.
I would pen down few lines on Chandhimal before writing my obituary (like the obituary on Democracy) on cricket.
Like the comments of South African sport writer Chesterfield (I hope I got the name), I have a query on him.
He queried who is this Chandhimal, before the last world cup?
I was not much interested last time, I wrote a response under his comment thinking it was Chamara De Silva (I thought Chesterfield was not picking up Sri-Lankan player names which are not like Christian names but he had made a mistake but in fact I made a mistake).
That was the first time I knew about Chandhimal.
My current comment is who ruined Chandhimal?
I think it is Sri-Lankan sports writers and Dhilshan.
Dilshan was sent as an opener by one of the cricket selectors to ruin his career.
Dhilshan knew that the AXE was on him and he thrived on the challenge.
What happened was the CHEAP and CHIEF selector had to go.
I think Sanath (chief selector) has to go before the voters oust him in the next election after failing at the next world cup, if he wants to keep his parliament seat with a big pension.
That is what I call a wise counsel (from me to him).
There was a very bad taste in my mouth, when Angelo (them vying for the top post) let Chandhimal get his century, risking a loss in a one day international in England.
When did Chandhimal win a game for us after that.
That was self before the game (both Angelo and Chandhimal).
One was eying for the top post and the other to secure a as a regular player.
Both ploys were bad when there is collaboration.
One succeeded and the other is out of the team.
This is total mismanagement.
What we need is Total Quality Management (TQM).
We do not have it now like the Singer's Punchhewa, who was behind our victory as a non player.
We also need good sports writers like Chesterfield.
We do not have any.
I think Chesterfield is in heaven and I am told by Maha Brahma, they are not allowed to play or watch cricket in heaven.
They only allow Mega Cassino Play, just like in Sri-Lanka.
Our Cassino owners have direct access to Heaven, Hell (for players), Cricket and Sri-Lanka.
Postscript;
Mind you there were three ex-captains on the field when this happened.
The incident ruined their (bad taste in their mouth) image too, especially Mahela who walks out when he knows, he is out.
I think both Mahela and Sangakkara should retire, if they feel their body is out (I call it the burn out syndrome), in style now but not after failing under a bad captain.
I respect whatever their personal goals and decisions and wish them happy life after retirement.
Both of them have done wonders.
I think Dhilshan is already showing signs of burn out and reconsider his options,too.
