No boundaries in the first six overs of Power Play, when was the last time it happened? Seriously!
With fielding restrictions on, three of your cleanest hitters of the cricket ball should have better options than what they preferred to take on Thursday night. Where have all the power hitters gone?
There is Avishka Fernando of course, making a comeback to the side after getting into trouble after failing a couple of fitness tests. But his options were wrong. He was trying to hit the ball to River Taff, trying to clear the square boundaries which were long. Instead, he should have looked at clearing the Cathedral Road which is straight down, with shorter boundaries.
What was really worrying was that some batsmen were backing away, not willing to face the pace of Mark Wood. You can perhaps excuse the lack of execution in clearing the boundary but not wanting to get hit while representing your country should pose serious questions. That is a clear indication of lack of application.
Coming back to power hitters, we could have certainly done better with Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera around. But when biting the bullet and axing the seniors, the selectors would have been aware of the fact that they have got to develop a thick skin when the team suffers painful defeats.
The question that needs to be asked is not whether Perera and Mathews could have cleared the boundary. The more pertinent question is could Sri Lanka have beaten England had they been present. The very reason why a youth policy had to be adopted was because the big boys were not firing and now that they have launched a youth policy, let them stick to it.
There is of course Bhanuka Rajapaksa capable of clearing the boundary with ease. But having burned bridges with authorities, refusing to toe the line and meet the minimum fitness standards, he seems to be now putting in some effort to revive his career. His presence at number five would be a huge boost for the line-up when Sri Lanka take on the Indians next month.
At one point, there was an effort to hire a British based Power Hitting Coach to work with Sri Lankan players. Sri Lanka Cricket even started negotiating but eventually the idea was shelved for some reason. Maybe it’s time to take a look at this aspect.
You remember Andre Russell, one of the most sought after T-20 cricketers in the world. He made his West Indies debut in Test match cricket in Galle and shared the new ball with Kemar Roach. But soon he realized that the opportunities in T-20 cricket were immense and employed a private power hitting coach. Today bowlers fear him like the plague.
Having said all that, you have got to admit that this is one of the most relentless attacks the players have faced in recent years. Take the case of Kusal Perera, who is perhaps the cleanest hitter of the cricket ball in the side. England executed their plans so well, not offering him any width at all to free his arms. Such discipline has to be admired.
But what you are not sure is whether the team is making use of the right players. Niroshan Dickwella being left out of white ball cricket is a massive surprise. Everything is right about him to play one-day format but Sri Lanka is showing consistency in his selection in Test match cricket and not ODIs or T-20s. True he is not the big hitter that we are talking about here, but he’s someone who is able of keeping the scoreboard moving and given his innovative methods, bowlers and captains are constantly under pressure.
Then there is Lakshan Sandakan, ninth in the ICC Rankings for bowlers in T-20 cricket but he’s not getting a game. Sandakan along with Wanindu Hasaranga are the only Sri Lankans to be ranked among the top ten in any form of cricket. There aren’t any other Sri Lankans in the top ten – batsmen and all-rounders included.
There is this argument that Akila Dananjaya has got to play as he is capable of bowling in the Power Play. But surely, your top ranked players need to be backed to play under pressure.
There have been a few positives like during the Bangladesh ODI series and we need to build on the positives rather than going on the reverse gear when wheels are appearing to be coming off. We need to look at the bigger picture which is later this year playing the qualifying round of the T-20 World Cup. Being challenged by stronger opponents will stand the team in good stead when Sri Lanka take on weaker teams in the qualifying round.
However, it is also inevitable that these defeats will result in Sri Lanka further slipping in the official ICC Rankings.
*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ThePapare.com.
