Ford’s Thoughts on Departure

ONE “Sri Lanka will always have a little piece of my heart- Ford,” in Rex Clementine, Sunday Island, 24 June 2017

Sri Lanka’s Head Coach Graham Ford, who parted ways with Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday has said that the country will always be a special place for him. Ford (57) was Sri Lanka’s Head Coach from 2012 to 2014 and rejoined the SLC last January. He was contracted with SLC until the 2019 World Cup. However, deviation of the Head Coach’s duties to the newly created position of Cricket Manager is believed to have left a bad taste in the much respected coach’s mouth. He quit the Sri Lankan coaching job after the recent Champions Trophy. SLC made the announcement yesterday.

Interference prompts Graham Ford to Resign

Rex Clementine, from the Sunday Island, 24 June 2017, with the title “Shame on Sri Lanka Cricket” ... with the highlighting being the intervention of The Editor, Cricketique

On Saturday, exactly at 1:00pm, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed what we all feared. They had parted ways with one of the best coaches in the world – Graham Xavier Ford. Given the national cricket team’s poor run in recent times, that has seen Sri Lanka slip down to number eight in ODI and T-20 cricket and number seven in Test cricket, SLC has faced intense criticism and the easiest thing in any sporting environment under such circumstances is to get rid of the coach. However, for cricket’s present debacles, placing the blame on Ford’s doorstep is as good as changing pillows for headaches.

How Good Fortune and Intelligent Backroom Decisions enabled Lanka to beat India

Michael Roberts

Four huge ‘sequoia trees’ stood astride the path to the Champions Cup at the commencement of the tournament: South Africa, India, Australia, England.  But, as I write on Sunday night 11th June, a combination of English rain and good cricket from the minnows has felled Australia as well as that outsider prospect, New Zealand; while the Safs and Indians are battling for one semi-final spot – an outcome that will knock one of them out.

My focus here is on the factors that have given Sri Lanka a 50/50 chance of making it to the finals after they snuffed out India on Friday last with a commanding batting performance. Two sets of factors assisted Sri Lanka: (A) fortune; and (B) strategic choices and good tactics.

Sangakkara’s Picture of An Innings bests his Artistic Shadow

Michael Henderson,  courtesy of  The Times, May 20 2017, where the title reads“Sangakkara produces a picture of an innings to put Surrey on top”

 Sangakkara passed his portrait at Lord’s before his 113 not out yesterdayGRAHAM MORRIS/THE TIMES

At 12.30pm yesterday, after a dank morning that had just admitted the first trace of brightness, something remarkable occurred. On the fall of Surrey’s second wicket Kumar Sangakkara left the dressing room and, on the stairs that lead to the Long Room, the great Sri Lankan batsman walked past a portrait of himself that had been hung on the wall only the day before. He then made 113 of the most lyrical runs you will see this summer, or any summer, to remind everybody that he remains a cricketer in the present tense. No sentimentalist, he. Five months short of his 40th birthday, Sangakkara continues to bring distinction to a game that he has adorned for two decades, and aren’t we the lucky ones!

Kumar Sangakkara’s Portrait adorns Lords

Kumar Sangakkara stands by his portrait © MCC/CS

Vithushan Ehantharajah,  courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, May 2017, with title as “Sangakkara celebrates the great unveiling

When they talk about the best players – the very best players – achievements, accolades and statistics only go so far. Kumar Sangakkara, scorer of 38 Test hundreds for Sri Lanka, approaching 20,000 runs in first-class cricket and an impressive humanitarian for good measure, finally has his hook. Some have statues, others have busts but the only fitting Sangakkara tribute could come via a brush rather than a hammer and chisel. And on the day that a portrait of the 39-year-old was unveiled in the Lord’s Pavilion, he treated Lord’s to the strokes of a genius.

Mellawa sails with the Sri Lanka’s Cricketers Yesterday and Today

Mahinda Wijesinghe, in The Island, 14 May 2017, where the title reads “Winds behind the willows: An encyclopaediac Mellawa’s history of SL cricket with warts and all”

Almost a century ago, S.P.Foenander, referred internationally as the ‘Wisden of the East’, authored his 268-page classic tome ‘Sixty Years of Ceylon Cricket’ (Ceylon Advertising & General Publicity – 1924). That was the first book which authoritatively enlightened the cricket world about cricket and cricketers between the years 1863 to 1923, in the then fair isle of Ceylon. One must also remember that Foenander, who even rubbed shoulders with the legendary Bradman – see photo below- must have experienced the difficulties at that time in collecting/collating information and statistics and so on in compiling his book. After all, the print media at that time was not developed; TV nor Internet was not even thought of. In short sophisticated communication systems were not even in its infancy. So the accolade of being the pioneer of cricket journalism in Ceylon falls squarely on the shoulders of the late S.P. Foenander.

 A rare photo taken in Colombo (October 1930) of S.P. Foenander, then the Sports Editor of ‘Ceylon Observer’, gifting a replica of the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy (Temple of the Tooth) to Don Bradman. Foenander is carrying Australian skipper Bill Woodfull’s son, Jack, in his arms.– Courtesy State Library of South Australia – PRG 682/16/108

Brian Lara to deliver Cowdrey Lecture in 2017

West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara will deliver the 2017 MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s on Monday 4 September.

Lara is set to become the second West Indian to give the Lecture, after Clive Lloyd imparted the keynote address in 2006. Following the speech, a question and answer session with Lara and a selected panel of cricketers, hosted by Mark Nicholas, will discuss topics arising from the Lecture and other cricketing issues.

The MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture has become a notable feature in the cricketing calendar, provoking debate and discussion on the major issues facing the game today. This year’s Lecture will take place in the week of the Investec Test Match between England and West Indies at Lord’s. Previous speakers at the event include the Most Reverend Dr Desmond Tutu (2008), Kumar Sangakkara (2011) and Sir Ian Botham (2014). The inaugural address was delivered in 2001 by the late Richie Benaud.