Blaming Sri Lanka’s T 20 World Cup Exit On Individual Players Should Shift To The Selectors Who Named Them!
Posted on May 15th, 2010
Top Spin By Suni
14th May 2010
Its high time the diatribe against individual players as a result of Sri Lanka bowing out of the T20 World Cup was called to a halt and the accusations about lack of performanceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on the part of just one player snuffed out~ as cricket is a team game and there are 11 players who have collectively failed to deliver the goods and win thechampionship!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Indeed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the focus is on Sanath Jayasuriya’s poor showing in the T20 World Cup but the onus as far as his failure in addition to his poor form with the bat is more the responsibility of those who selected him for the squad and overlooked far better players with proven current form so to all these armchair critics it needs to be said “put a sock on it! clam up! and think speculatively that, had Sanath Jayasuriya been overlooked for the T20WC someone else may have turned the tide for Sri Lanka positivelyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which is the apathy that needs to be viewed objectively before we start bashing Sanath and it is someone else’s responsibility~ the likes of Gamini Lokuge and Asantha de Mel and the big wigs at Sri Lanka Cricket whose biased selection methods are perhaps the root cause for whats wrong with Sri Lankan cricket.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
It seems ludicrous to berate poor Sanath who was legitimatelyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ included in the Sri Lankan Squad and despite beingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ given preference over more deserving players it was a decision made by the selectors and the notion that it was his political clout which gained him his place is a load of rubbish knowing Sanath to be a soft spoken, non aggressive and very gentlemanly type whose only fault perhaps was to go along with his inclusion based on someone elses over eager judgement and probably would have accepted his omission equally graciously as much asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ being included.
Heck !the man has every right to ride a wave of euphoria even today given how much he dazzled during his prime and if the selectors are blinkeredƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ about his current performance capabilities he should not be held responsible if he wants to ride the wave that someone else has projected him to!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
So what really went wrong with the Lankans against England?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
PerhapsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it was either taking the Brits for granted and relaxing too much or simply not having the wherewithal to stand upto the English bowlers and of course the hypothetical presumption that this toss won by Sangakkara should have been one where the Englishmen were asked to bat first albeit speculative as the same batting track saw Pakistan amass over 190 runs in the thriller which climaxed with Australia’s sensational last over win catapulting them into the final against England.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
This is not a time to negatively profile Sanath Jayasuriya singling him out as culpable for Sri Lanka’s woes as we must remember the glory he has brought Sri Lankan cricket in the not too distant past as the collective blame primarily has to rest on the politicians who instigate cricketing decisions based on their personal whims and fancies not taking into account the concept of selection based on merit.They need to be asked to back off and concentrate on the running of the country not the cricket team as their constant interference is killing Sri Lankan cricket!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
While it isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is shamefulƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to goad, bait and name call Sanath as though it was his fault Sri Lanka was eclipsed from the T20WCƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ there is also the consideration for Sanath himself to evaluate the justification of his inclusion if his performance capabilities are waning, leaving aside ego and selfish motivation and given all the wretched comments of some who once cheered him on when he was blasting his way into the history books, it’s best that he himself made a veritable choice and bowed out gracefully which seems a very likely possibility so asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ silence all those paranoid name callers villifying Sanath, some of whom probably never held a cricket bat in their lives and seem to have all but forgotten the glory Sanath once brough to Sri Lankan cricket and need to be asked to clam up!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Sri Lanka has much team building to do before the forthcoming World Cup and one of the foremost priorities should be to put together aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ winning team rather than one with stragglers and wannabe Jayasuriyas and there is a huge contingent of very talented players in Sri Lanka today who despiteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ remarkable ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ individiual and consistentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ performances have failed to catch the attention of the selectors who need to be coralled and dumped from their authoritative positions based on favouritism and patronage they so blatantly displayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as well as the constant political nudges motivating their choices as otherwise the Next World Cup could be a repeat of the T20 in equal adversity to what transpired in the Carribean for Sri Lanka!
Its high time the diatribe against individual players as a result of Sri Lanka bowing out of the T20 World Cup was called to a halt and the accusations about lack of performanceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on the part of just one player snuffed out~ as cricket is a team game and there are 11 players who have collectively failed to deliver the goods and win thechampionship!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Indeed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the focus is on Sanath Jayasuriya’s poor showing in the T20 World Cup but the onus as far as his failure in addition to his poor form with the bat is more the responsibility of those who selected him for the squad and overlooked far better players with proven current form so to all these armchair critics it needs to be said “put a sock on it! clam up! and think speculatively that, had Sanath Jayasuriya been overlooked for the T20WC someone else may have turned the tide for Sri Lanka positivelyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which is the apathy that needs to be viewed objectively before we start bashing Sanath and it is someone else’s responsibility~ the likes of Gamini Lokuge and Asantha de Mel and the big wigs at Sri Lanka Cricket whose biased selection methods are perhaps the root cause for whats wrong with Sri Lankan cricket.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
It seems ludicrous to berate poor Sanath who was legitimatelyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ included in the Sri Lankan Squad and despite beingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ given preference over more deserving players it was a decision made by the selectors and the notion that it was his political clout which gained him his place is a load of rubbish knowing Sanath to be a soft spoken, non aggressive and very gentlemanly type whose only fault perhaps was to go along with his inclusion based on someone elses over eager judgement and probably would have accepted his omission equally graciously as much asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ being included.
Heck !the man has every right to ride a wave of euphoria even today given how much he dazzled during his prime and if the selectors are blinkeredƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ about his current performance capabilities he should not be held responsible if he wants to ride the wave that someone else has projected him to!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
So what really went wrong with the Lankans against England?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
PerhapsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it was either taking the Brits for granted and relaxing too much or simply not having the wherewithal to stand upto the English bowlers and of course the hypothetical presumption that this toss won by Sangakkara should have been one where the Englishmen were asked to bat first albeit speculative as the same batting track saw Pakistan amass over 190 runs in the thriller which climaxed with Australia’s sensational last over win catapulting them into the final against England.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
This is not a time to negatively profile Sanath Jayasuriya singling him out as culpable for Sri Lanka’s woes as we must remember the glory he has brought Sri Lankan cricket in the not too distant past as the collective blame primarily has to rest on the politicians who instigate cricketing decisions based on their personal whims and fancies not taking into account the concept of selection based on merit.They need to be asked to back off and concentrate on the running of the country not the cricket team as their constant interference is killing Sri Lankan cricket!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
While it isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is shamefulƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to goad, bait and name call Sanath as though it was his fault Sri Lanka was eclipsed from the T20WCƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ there is also the consideration for Sanath himself to evaluate the justification of his inclusion if his performance capabilities are waning, leaving aside ego and selfish motivation and given all the wretched comments of some who once cheered him on when he was blasting his way into the history books, it’s best that he himself made a veritable choice and bowed out gracefully which seems a very likely possibility so asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ silence all those paranoid name callers villifying Sanath, some of whom probably never held a cricket bat in their lives and seem to have all but forgotten the glory Sanath once brough to Sri Lankan cricket and need to be asked to clam up!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Sri Lanka has much team building to do before the forthcoming World Cup and one of the foremost priorities should be to put together aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ winning team rather than one with stragglers and wannabe Jayasuriyas and there is a huge contingent of very talented players in Sri Lanka today who despiteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ remarkable ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ individiual and consistentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ performances have failed to catch the attention of the selectors who need to be coralled and dumped from their authoritative positions based on favouritism and patronage they so blatantly displayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as well as the constant political nudges motivating their choices as otherwise the Next World Cup could be a repeat of the T20 in equal adversity to what transpired in the Carribean for Sri Lanka!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
May 15th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
No doubt the selectors performance is pathetic and should be blamed for selecting Sanath but that does not absolve Sanath from being greedy to remain as available for selection when he no longer can perform. Sanath’s mind says “I can” but the body says “give me a break”. Yes he now has a sharp eye only to defend the ball and no longer to attack it without getting out. It is a shame such a great cricketer to dive so quickly to rock bottom because of greed, which could also jeopardise his new career in politics. In fact he is now bringing disrepute to Rajapakse regime as people are thinking it was a Rajapakse directive to select Sanath – hope not. My fear is Sanath has expressed his desire to play in the next World Cup and I pray that the selectors would place the country above individuals.
May 16th, 2010 at 1:29 am
Sunil,
Your trying of top spinning of unjustifiable selfishness will not go anywhere. Some of those who hold the bats do not hold it for free like us. They wealthy people, Ferrari drivers and playboys with illegitimate children overseas and they want to continue such life until they are kicked off.
Do not forget this man was kicked off few years ago and he cried before the president to get in to the team again. To be fair to him he completed an excellent IPL which helped saving selectors face. But since then he failed and failed, yet this time selectors were possibly given strict instructions or they did not want to lose face again. If he loves his country and fellow young cricketers he should have retired gracefully. Inclusion of one such man is enough to ruin the whole team morale, in this extremely competitive game.
May 16th, 2010 at 2:41 am
Australia is in the Final of the T20 competition, and rightly so. One thing Australia does not do is to persist with players whose ‘use by’ date has come and gone. If SL wants to be up with the best, SL also needs to select teams based on players’ merit, not the patronage they enjoy or their past glories.
May 17th, 2010 at 2:32 am
Regarding the above, it is instructive to read what Michael Clark the Australian cricket captain is reported to have said, in relation to his own role, following his team’s defeat by England, on Sunday.
“There’s no doubt that the selectors will need to have a look at my performances,” he said. “I certainly know they haven’t been up to scratch through this whole tournament and probably in Twenty20 cricket in general.
“I’m sure the selectors will sit down and have a look and if I’m not the right guy for No. 3 and the captaincy then they’ll make that decision.”
In Sri Lanka, the players clearly seem to take a different view, even when they are not performing!!