New Structure for Local Cricket Competition

Rex Clementine, in Island, 7 January 2018, with title “Domestic cricket set for complete overhaul”

Following the national cricket team’s disastrous showing in 2017 across all formats of the game, Sri Lanka Cricket has been under the pump for messing with the domestic cricket structure. SLC’s decision to increase the number of First Class teams from 14 to 24 had drawn much criticism forcing the Sports Ministry to intervene. It resulted in a high profile committee put in place to restructure domestic cricket and the committee has now forwarded its recommendations to the Ministry.

Former Test captains Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara were part of a high profile committee that was formed by the Sports Ministry to address the woes of domestic cricket.

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Hathurusingha as New Broom?

Madushka Balasuriya, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, where the title is  Hathurusingha to enlist aid of former SL players, sports psychologist” …. Note–emphasis by highlighting has been added by The eDitor

The employment of a sports psychologist and tapping into the wealth of knowledge in Sri Lanka’s network of former players are among new coach Chandika Hathurusingha‘s first moves towards rehabilitating Sri Lanka Cricket.

“I will get Kumar Sangakkara‘s expertise and invite him to come and help us. If I don’t look for his help, then I will be wasting this opportunity I’ve been given,” Hathurusingha said to the media, following a prolonged training session with a pool of 23 players, some of whom will be travelling to Bangladesh next month.

Grit At Last: Thawfeeq and Clementine on How Lanka drew Third Test on Day Five

Sa’adi Thawfeeq, in Daily News, 7 Dec 2017,  with title “Sri Lanka batting displays gumption to draw final Test”

Wednesday: The Sri Lankan batting which has been spineless in the last five Tests against India finally displayed its true colours to bat out the entire fifth and final day and deny the number one ranked Test team victory in the third and final cricket Test played at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Wednesday.

Dhannajaya & Roshen take a run

Set an improbable target of 410 to chase in the fourth innings, Sri Lanka finished on 299 for five wickets to earn an honourable draw. The match was called off in mutual consent between the two teams at the final drinks break at 4 pm.

Sanga for Ranga! And Rangaiyya for Us All

Rex Clementine, in Island, 4 October 2017, with title “How Sanga backed Herath when he was out of the radar”

Kumar Sangakkara jokes with Rangana Herath during a Test match. Sangakkara was responsible for bringing Herath back into Test cricket at a time he had fallen off the radar.
It is a shame that Kumar Sangakkara’s captaincy lasted for less than two years. However, in that short period, Sanga introduced a new culture into the team. With firm backing from coach Trevor Bayliss, he supported those who were committed to the team’s cause and in the meantime kicked out those who lacked focus. The results were stunning as Sri Lanka recorded a maiden series win in Australia and recorded first ever home series wins – Tests and ODIs – against Pakistan. Into the bargain, there were also two ICC finals – 2009 World T-20 final and 2011 World Cup final.

Turbulence in the Boardroom of Sri Lanka Cricket

Andrew Fidel Fernando courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, September 2017 where the title is “SLC looks to get de Silva, Jayawardene on board”

Aravinda de Silva, Roshan Mahanama, Brendon Kuruppu, Graeme Labrooy, perhaps even Mahela Jayawardene – these are the names Sri Lanka Cricket is attempting to align itself with as the board looks to arrest the decline of the national team. Even more crucially for SLC, getting former players with good reputations on board may also help turn around its ailing public reputation. The board is now not only widely believed to be detrimental to the development of cricket, it is also seen as one of the most toxic governing bodies in the country.

Generational Mix is Sri Lanka’s Present Problem in Malinga’s View

Andrew Fidel Fernando,  courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, August 2017, where the title “Malinga laments ‘lost generation’ after another SL loss to India”

Sri Lanka have “lost a generation” of cricketers from the national fold, and cannot afford to do so again. Fresh from having presided over Sri Lanka’s largest ever runs defeat in ODIs, stand-in captain Lasith Malinga delivered the aforementioned grim diagnosis. Malinga’s argument is this: where for most of his career he has played in teams comprising mostly of experienced players, he now finds himself in a side where very few have more than 50 ODIs on their record. Eight of Thursday’s XI, for example, have played 37 ODIs or fewer. Of those, a stunning five have played fewer than 10 ODIs.

Sampath Perera and Niroshan Dickwella

Sidharth Monga, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 11 August 2017, where the title runs  The rise of the sweep-happy, street-smart Dickwella

Despite all the hype around mystery cricketers, Sri Lankan cricket would not have risen without a more prosaic, solid supply line from the schools. Arjuna Ranatunga’s one big lament has been the decline of schools cricket, otherwise “the best system in the world”. Schools cricket in Sri Lanka has been stuff of legend. There are about 30 Big Matches, traditional annual matches played between two certain schools. The Royal-Thomian is the biggest Big Match, a phenomenon in itself with a festival-like atmosphere over the three days of the match and on days leading up to it. Up in the hill country, the Big Match of Kandy, the battle of the blues, between St Anthony and Trinity, was a one-sided affair when Sampath Perera took over in September 2008.

Niroshan Dickwella counterattacked with inventive shots AFP