Saw the shocking scenes the other day of Italy’s players in tears and disbelief when they failed to make it to the FIFA World Cup in 2018? It’s the first time since 1958 that four time champions Azzurri failed to make it to sport’s showpiece event.
The Sri Lankan cricket team almost did an Italy a couple of months ago. Ever present in the ICC Cricket World Cup since its introduction in 1975, the three time finalists qualified for the 2019 event by a whisker. Now that only a limited number of teams are entertained for ICC events, Sri Lanka’s position in future ICC competitions is in peril with them ranked eighth in ODI and T20I cricket.
It is in this backdrop, Sri Lanka Cricket is promising the sun and the moon in order to woo former opening batsman Chandika Hathurusingha as the Head Coach of the national cricket team. Here’s why.
Chandika Hathurusingha – From Dhaka to Colombo?
Bangladesh Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has tendered his..
Hathurusingha is a brilliant tactician and his craving for success is insatiable. A straight talking man, the 49-year-old doesn’t suffer fools gladly. When he took over Bangladesh in May 2014, with less than a year left for the ICC Cricket World Cup, he rubbed a few people the wrong way.
He took on Bangladesh’s premier player Shakib Al Hasan and there was public outcry. Soon the Bangladesh Cricket Board tried to intervene, taking the side of the player. Hathurusingha just asked BCB officials one question. “Do you want to have the world’s number one all-rounder or do you want to become the world’s number one team?
Chapter closed. Shakib was suspended for six months. When he returned, there was a remarkable change in his attitude. His century set up Bangladesh’s maiden Test win against Sri Lanka early this year.
In that series, the dropping of Mahmudullah Riyad didn’t go down well too. The all-rounder is the brother-in-law of Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim and there was a storm of protest. But Hathurusingha stuck to his guns, banking on younger players.
What has worked for Bangladesh cricket is that Hathurusingha has been given full authority. His vision as to where the team should be has taken them places. Since his arrival, Bangladesh reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup and semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. There have been series wins over India, Pakistan and South Africa in ODI cricket with Test wins over Sri Lanka, Australia and England. They are now a serious threat in Test cricket at home and a strong opposition in limited overs cricket away from home.
It remains to be seen whether Sri Lanka will give him the same sort of authority. The players are so powerful in our shores that all what it takes to revert an important decision is a phone call to the Minister of Sports.
Bangladesh confident Hathurusingha’s stay
Dhaka – Bangladesh’s cricket authorities expressed…
Hathurusingha wasn’t a regular for the Ananda College First XI as a schoolboy cricketer, but was given an opportunity at Tamil Union. Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Australia S. Skandakumar was a former SLC Secretary and did a lot to cricketers who came to Colombo from far off places. Hathurusingha too benefited immensely by the wisdom of Skandakumar, who was the Chairman of George Steuarts, Sri Lanka’s oldest mercantile establishment and a Tamil Union stalwart. It was a huge achievement for Hathurusingha and his supporters when he went onto play Test cricket having not played for the school, a rare occurrence in our game.
His first impact as a coach was seen more than a decade ago when he shifted to Moors SC after several years of toil at Tamil Union towards the tail-end of his career. In 2002, he guided an unfancied Moors side to victory in Premier League cricket. Perhaps the only notable player in that championship winning team was captain Rangana Herath. Hathurusingha was also part of the side as player cum coach.
It was at Moors that Hathurusingha first made an impact as a coach. His planning and attention to detail was hailed by the Moors players and from there he went on to take over as coach of UAE. Soon SLC felt the need for his expertise and in 2008 he was made Sri Lanka ‘A’ coach.
Most Sri Lankan teams struggle when they tour South Africa. Look at our horrendous record there. The fast and bouncy pitches in South Africa have proved to be successive Sri Lankan teams undoing. Hathurusingha took the ‘A’ team to South Africa in 2009 well prepared to the challenge.
Sri Lanka lost a closely fought three match unofficial Test series 1-0 before winning the five match one-day series 4-1.
Surprised by Sri Lanka ‘A’ successful campaign, Test captain Kumar Sangakkara made a request to SLC to release Hathurusingha to the senior side. There too he made an impact and earned the respect of the players for his tactical acumen. Tipped to succeed Trevor Bayliss after the 2011 World Cup, he was making steady progress until the unfortunate incident in 2010.
Seven years later, his presence has been very much required to change the fortunes of Sri Lankan cricket. The current team lacks appetite and the hunger for success. His no nonsense approach is very much the need of the hour to put the team back on track. But, will he be given a free hand?
