All cricket fans need to be prepared for some harsh realities; like Sri Lanka playing the qualifying tournament to get to the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Some vital areas have been neglected over the years and we nearly paid the price ahead of the last World Cup before narrowly qualifying for the tournament automatically. It is destiny, perhaps, that on a year where we celebrated the silver jubilee of the national cricket team winning the sport’s showpiece event that we have to suffer this fate.
The equation prior to the Bangladesh series was that Sri Lanka had to win 12 of the 21 ODIs to automatically qualify. Now it’s getting tougher with the team’s next opponents to be all formidable forces in the game such as England, India and Australia. There will be twin series against India at home and away, with a home series against Afghanistan sandwiched in-between.
With the selectors pushing for a brave youth policy, despite the early slump in Dhaka, you can only expect the team to improve with experience. There are some positives for sure like fielding and the energy shown on the field. Dushmantha Chameera’s quick spells and Wanindu Hasaranga’s all-round abilities are certainly plus points but the batting remains unimpressive, not able to play spin.
The coaching staff has brushed aside concerns that there are any technical deficiencies in handling spin. They are said to be having no such issues in training. But mind you that spin has been a bit of an in issue for some time now. Otherwise, a little heard of spinner like Dom Bess wouldn’t end up with a five-wicket haul on debut.
But going by what the coaching staff says, the issue is more mental; getting bogged down having cracked under pressure. Then they take the aerial route having run out of options and there’s not enough power to clear the ropes. This is why you need a competitive domestic tournament. This is something that has been stressed over and over again but nothing has been done to fix it. Although there are provincial tournaments that are brought up now and then, they are ad hoc, and continuity has become a major issue.
If you need to understand how easy the batsmen have it in First Class cricket, go and check the number of triple hundreds and double hundreds that are made in a season of Premier League cricket and compare it with the Sheffield Shield in Australia.
Even Ramesh Mendis has a triple hundred and he hasn’t even played 50 First Class games. Ricky Ponting after nearly 300 games didn’t manage to score a triple hundred.
Having said all this, do keep in mind that there’s no shame in losing to Bangladesh. They are a force to be reckoned with in ODI cricket at present, especially at home having won their last five ODI series.
The days of Chaminda Vaas taking a hat-trick against them in the first three balls in Pietermaritzburg and the game ending before lunch are a distant memory. They have come a long way. Bangladesh have four players who have featured in 200 ODIs whereas Sri Lanka’s most experienced is Kusal Janith Perera who has barely played 100 ODIs. That experience is a huge factor and if you wonder why Sri Lanka is struggling, one reason is lack of experience.
Comparatively to Dhaka, you expect the batters to do better in England, where wickets for shorter formats of the game are flatter.
Dhaka’s two paced wickets aren’t easy to adapt to, especially if you are new to the international scene. It needs bit of experience to succeed on these wickets where you struggle for timing. Mushfiqur Rahim had done so well because he has adapted to conditions. Danushka Gunathilaka on the hand has looked so good during his cameos but hasn’t been able to convert them into match winning knocks because when you play your shots, it’s just a matter of time when you falter with your timing.
The thinking of those running cricket is understandable. The team had made little progress in white ball cricket since the 2019 World Cup despite having the seniors, so they have changed the strategy to youth. Now that they have launched on the youth policy, they need to back the individuals they have chosen.
One thing that defies logic is why Niroshan Dickwella wasn’t played for in the current squad, he is one guy who had considerable amount of experience. Dickwella has already played some 45 Tests but only 52 ODIs although it is the format that he has been most successful in with the bat, having already scored two hundreds. However, he had not played an ODI since March 2019. That is strange thinking.
The writing is on the wall for Sri Lanka. They are unlikely to qualify automatically for the 2023 World Cup. The larger picture is to build up a robust young team that will progress to the tournament having done well in qualifiers. Stranger things can happen in this game. Remember Pakistan in 2017 Champions Trophy. They entered the competition as the last ranked team (eighth) and went onto win the trophy beating arch-rivals India in the final.
