When Sanath Jayasuriya, the chief selector, got his heart problems, he obviously wasn’t having as much input on the selections and someone else was calling the shots while he recuperated.
Otherwise it’s difficult to explain the picking of four spinners in the deciding one dayer at Hambantota. Jayasuriya has generally been spot on with his selections and has not been afraid to wield the axe either.
Today’s second Test selections are ample evidence of that. Niroshan Dickwella is a promising player with a good head and good attitude. It also helps that he’s a decent keeper. He makes his debut today, and Kithruwan Vithanage is also in the side at the expense of Vice Captain Lahiru Thirimanne. Two pretty big calls, but calls that had to be made.
I’m all for giving players time, but Dinesh Chandimal wasn’t getting out to good balls, he wasn’t getting unlucky, and he wasn’t showing the sort of determination needed to claw your way out of a bad patch. It was the mental approach that deserved the dropping and nothing else. Poor lad. I feel for him. Elevated to positions disproportionate to his talent and worth as a result of being close to the administration has not helped the young lad. He will do well to realise that rising up the ranks through political patronage won’t prevent opposition bowlers who don’t really give a shit who’s buddy you are, from finding you out.
Thirimanne, we just have to feel sorry for. It is obvious that the VC position is cursed, and almost every incumbent has had serious problems while holding the poisoned chalice. Thirimanne is a good cricketer. He’s a smart lad who has been undergoing a bad patch. He needs to play more to fix it. Spend more time in the nets, and as much in the middle in a competitive environment to get his confidence back. England was a difficult tour for him, and that should not be the only criteria he is judged by. But his capitulation in Galle aggravated the situation, with both players’ ODI form compounding their Test failures.
Jayasuriya has shown that he is willing to try new players. Some of those gambles have worked. Some haven’t. But that is sport, and life. The good thing is that we have talent to pick from. Dickwella has been scoring runs in domestic cricket for sometime, although his immediate form may not be immaculate, and Vithanage has embraced most of the chances he has been given. These players must be rewarded, and the incumbents must be kept on their toes. One or more of these players – Vithanage, Dikcwella, Chandimal, Thirimanne – will need to fill Mahela’s spot when it is vacated, and another spot in the batting line up. It’s better for them to play with Mahela at least for a few test matches, in order that they draw on his experience.
Today’s selections are excellent. Whether they will contribute to us winning a test I don’t know. That’ll have more to do with the pitch than the batting.
The bowling selections are less excellent though. Three specialist spinners in Herath, Dilruwan and Mendis. That is ridiculous. Angelo is not a Test match opening bowler. He’s a first or second change at best, and doesn’t like to bowl long spells. Why are we taking away from the excellent showing of Eranga and Lakmal and Pradeep in England. One average test where the spinners didn’t do a lot either shouldn’t see us having to bank on one specialist pace bowler. Shame.
