After Sri Lanka’s victory over India in Brisbane, All Out Cricket’s Sri Lankan correspondent Damith Samarakoon ponders what the future holds for Mahela Jayawardene and his team.
Sri Lanka’s tour to South Africa late last year was expected to be the apocalyptic end to a catastrophic year for the World Cup runners-up, such were the dire expectations prior to the tour from fans, media and perhaps even the players themselves. In light of those expectations Sri Lanka clearly overachieved: after being brushed aside by Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn in the first Test at Centurion they levelled the series with a famous 208-run win in Durban.
Unfortunately Sri Lanka made an incomprehensible move to send South Africa in after winning the toss in the third Test. It was game over after the first day. The ODIs were a rollercoaster ride: 43 all out in one game, then chasing over 300 twice in a row. Sadly by the time Sri Lanka had found their voice, they were singing to an empty arena.
Things weren’t much different off the field either. Midway through the ODI series Tillakaratne Dilshan’s captaincy was reported to be under threat. Dilshan was in any case only appointed captain by default. At a time when no one else wanted the job, Sri Lanka Cricket seemingly looked around for the most senior player in the team, pinned him with the label and said ‘off you go’. The move proved to be as catastrophic as it was short-sighted.
Dilshan was always a confidence man. Success was what he burnt for energy. When his batting form left him it had a huge impact on the way he led the team. When the team capsized it affected his performance. In fact, much of Sri Lanka’s success in the last two years was owed to Dilshan’s bat, meaning his subsequent failures were magnified.
Now the Sri Lankan selection committee, or the sports minister (who really knows anymore?), has given the reins back to Mahela Jayawardene. Sri Lanka needed a change, and by and large Mahela was the only reasonable choice that Sri Lanka had. Angelo Mathews has always been thought of as the next logical leader. Unfortunately, he is still a player riddled with injuries who is yet to establish himself in all formats of the game, and Kumar Sangakkara was never in the running because, while he was at least an average leader, he showed no interest in ever being at the helm once he had decided to step down. Actually, that is probably true for Mahela as well. But here we are.
Jayawardene has said that he only wishes to remain in the job for a year at the most. This could be his way of having a sense of control over a decision that has essentially been forced on him. The question then becomes, how much can he really achieve in a year? It would be unfair to expect an immediate turnaround in the CB series – though his side are at least competing against Australia and India at present. Home series against England and Pakistan are scheduled ahead of the World Twenty20. While they might be confident against an England side who have struggled in spinning conditions, performing well against Pakistan, on current form, will be significant. Jayawardene is leading a team and a country that is desperate for a performance.
For the captain to forcibly end his second stint in charge is selling Sri Lanka short, and soon the team will be asked to reinvent the wheel again. Perhaps a better move might be for Jayawardene to retire from ODIs and Twenty20 cricket at the end of the year and hand over those reins to Mathews, giving the allrounder the time to build and prepare for the 2015 World Cup, and allowing Mahela to focus solely on Test cricket where he is still needed the most. Despite the skipper’s decent form in Australia, Sri Lanka proved in South Africa that they have the batting resources to do without him in ODIs. And anything that prolongs Jayawardene’s Test career is definitely a bonus.
Damith Samarakoon is a Sri Lankan cricket fanatic living in Sydney. He blogs regularly at www.theflyslip.net
Click here to read David Green on the brighter side of sport
Mahela’s One Year Wonder
After Sri Lanka’s victory over India in Brisbane, All Out Cricket’s Sri Lankan correspondent Damith Samarakoon ponders what the future holds for Mahela Jayawardene and his team.
Sri Lanka’s tour to South Africa late last year was expected to be the apocalyptic end to a catastrophic year for the World Cup runners-up, such were the dire expectations prior to the tour from fans, media and perhaps even the players themselves. In light of those expectations Sri Lanka clearly overachieved: after being brushed aside by Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn in the first Test at Centurion they levelled the series with a famous 208-run win in Durban.
Unfortunately Sri Lanka made an incomprehensible move to send South Africa in after winning the toss in the third Test. It was game over after the first day. The ODIs were a rollercoaster ride: 43 all out in one game, then chasing over 300 twice in a row. Sadly by the time Sri Lanka had found their voice, they were singing to an empty arena.
Things weren’t much different off the field either. Midway through the ODI series Tillakaratne Dilshan’s captaincy was reported to be under threat. Dilshan was in any case only appointed captain by default. At a time when no one else wanted the job, Sri Lanka Cricket seemingly looked around for the most senior player in the team, pinned him with the label and said ‘off you go’. The move proved to be as catastrophic as it was short-sighted.
Dilshan was always a confidence man. Success was what he burnt for energy. When his batting form left him it had a huge impact on the way he led the team. When the team capsized it affected his performance. In fact, much of Sri Lanka’s success in the last two years was owed to Dilshan’s bat, meaning his subsequent failures were magnified.
Now the Sri Lankan selection committee, or the sports minister (who really knows anymore?), has given the reins back to Mahela Jayawardene. Sri Lanka needed a change, and by and large Mahela was the only reasonable choice that Sri Lanka had. Angelo Mathews has always been thought of as the next logical leader. Unfortunately, he is still a player riddled with injuries who is yet to establish himself in all formats of the game, and Kumar Sangakkara was never in the running because, while he was at least an average leader, he showed no interest in ever being at the helm once he had decided to step down. Actually, that is probably true for Mahela as well. But here we are.
Jayawardene has said that he only wishes to remain in the job for a year at the most. This could be his way of having a sense of control over a decision that has essentially been forced on him. The question then becomes, how much can he really achieve in a year? It would be unfair to expect an immediate turnaround in the CB series – though his side are at least competing against Australia and India at present. Home series against England and Pakistan are scheduled ahead of the World Twenty20. While they might be confident against an England side who have struggled in spinning conditions, performing well against Pakistan, on current form, will be significant. Jayawardene is leading a team and a country that is desperate for a performance.
For the captain to forcibly end his second stint in charge is selling Sri Lanka short, and soon the team will be asked to reinvent the wheel again. Perhaps a better move might be for Jayawardene to retire from ODIs and Twenty20 cricket at the end of the year and hand over those reins to Mathews, giving the allrounder the time to build and prepare for the 2015 World Cup, and allowing Mahela to focus solely on Test cricket where he is still needed the most. Despite the skipper’s decent form in Australia, Sri Lanka proved in South Africa that they have the batting resources to do without him in ODIs. And anything that prolongs Jayawardene’s Test career is definitely a bonus.
Damith Samarakoon is a Sri Lankan cricket fanatic living in Sydney. He blogs regularly at www.theflyslip.net
Click here to read David Green on the brighter side of sport