***Official*** England in Sri Lanka

[JASON]

Is this an indication of how far we've fallen?

That too...But it would mean Sri Lanka can't beat Teams even at home and not just away from home bashings ....and that unfortunately would mean SL Cricket is in real strife...for a fair while to come and immediate and timely action in the form of retiring old timers and getting some better talent spotters (ie selectors) and better team involved with day to day team management (ie Coaching Staff) and better Team Leader/Captain would be needed to stem the decline urgently and turn things around or else we would be headed for a far worse abyss than the one West Indies have been in for some time...

 

[silentstriker]

Where then is the problem ?

And you suggest doing nothing ?

The problem is at the lower levels - first class and below where there is little proper equipment for players, crumbling or no infrastructure, and zero quality coaching. Australia aren't great because their Test set up is done brilliantly, they are great because at every level the talent is properly identified, nurtured, and given opportunities. There are a lot fewer players in Australia who could have played but didn't due to a lack of opportunities. In the subcontinent, such players are dime a dozen. Shane Warne is on record as saying many First Class games in Australia are of a higher standard than most Tests, and he is likely right for that reason.

Before an Australian player can earn the right to wear the baggy green (earn being the main word there), he has to spend many years coming up through the system where they Test not only his skills, but his work ethic, commitment and myriad of other things. By the time they make their debut, they know their game inside and out. There is a reason why its rare for a modern Aussie player to be 'figured out'.

They've figured themselves out and generally know their game well enough to quickly and efficiently adapt to Test cricket - and they are expected to do so. An example is RP Singh, who spent his entire life in India coming up through the system including Test team. Everything was fine for him, until he went to England and they immediately identified a weakness in his leg muscles and gave him a fitness plan to work on that. A couple months later, he returned a vastly improved bowler. Why couldn't anyone in India figure that out? How many players have been wasted or not even given opportunities because of things that could have been remedied?

You can fire a hundred coaches and get rid of every single player you want. Sometimes you'll get lucky with freaks like Murali, but there will never be a consistent level of success unless the energy is focused on where it should be. By the time a player makes his way to Test level, it's frequently too late. No subcontinent team will be consistently the #1 side over a long period of time without changes that have nothing to do with the national team. We sometimes get lucky with individual talents, but nothing long term or consistent. At the national level, you're using a band-aid to treat cancer.

 

[Richard]

I am expecting Vaas to retire after this series...he must be pretty pissed after being dropped for the pie throwing Statistical anomaly called Maharoof....He would be playing his 100th Test whenever he next plays and I suspect he will retire after that...

It really is beyond belief, TBH, that Fernando and Maharoof should be picked ahead of Vaas. And Maaalinga too, FTM. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Pup Clarke]

If you knew what Vaas's test record was in the last couple of years or so maybe you'd begin to understand...

In saying that it's still an odd decision.

 

[Richard]

I'm quite aware of Vaas' Test record - he is my favourite bowler, ever, y'know.

It's been disappointing, sure, but there's still far more chance he'd have made an impression than any of the three picked.

In fact, I'm not really that sorry, especially with hindsight, that he didn't play, because he'd probably have got another 1\2-150-odd. That's the way things tend to go against Australia, disappointingly. But, well... you never know. He's a funny bowler, Vaas, can pluck something from nowhere.

And whether I'm glad he didn't get 2-150 isn't relevant, at all, to who'd be likeliest to do the best job for Sri Lanka.

 

[JASON]

http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=1&NewsIDAuto=4734

Isn't it a relief that he is not going to be throwing pies at the English as well ?

 

[JASON]

I hope Sanath is not picked against England given his poor form at the moment...If anything he needs to seriously look at retiring soon..

I think SL should pick Warnapura to open with Vandort or consider Sangakkara opening if he is not going to keep wickets any more.

With regard to the bowling, Vaas may be ok to play the First few Tests but Sri Lanka really need to get some of the younger fast bowlers a chance to get some Test Cricket under their belts...I really think there is a real urgency to at least trial a couple of young quicks in this series even at the expense of Vaas, as his retirement does not seem too far away.

 

[JBH001]

I am expecting Vaas to retire after this series...he must be pretty pissed after being dropped for the pie throwing Statistical anomaly called Maharoof....He would be playing his 100th Test whenever he next plays and I suspect he will retire after that...

If Sri Lanka do not beat England at home 3-0 after the drubbing in Australia (currently looking down the barrell of a 2-0 innings thumping in successive tests) there is a real need to revamp Sri Lankan Team and get rid of the coaching staff and some of the old timers in the Team and start afresh including a new Captain in the form of Sangakkara ...Mahela's captaincy in Australia has been damn poor to say the least and the Coach has done very little to make the Team perform better... Atapattu has already scripted his retirement and Sanath needs to be given the final goodbye now rather than later...

Jason, you always seem to want to throw out the tub and the baby with the bathwater.

 

[Nishan]

Dilshan scores of 188,70 and 89 as an opener in the local scene maybe he is suggesting something to the selectors for the one day game. But his stats have been amazing

 

[JASON]

Dilshan scores of 188,70 and 89 as an opener in the local scene maybe he is suggesting something to the selectors for the one day game. But his stats have been amazing

Some of the Final spots for the First Test will probably be decided from the next few practice matches, England are playing.

I would expect Sri Lanka to include Lokuaaratchchi at 7 to compliment Murali and 1 other bowling spot may be decided in the next few days...its a shame the chap called Welagedera in the current squad has been hauled up here, when he could've been part of the Practice matches v England....as well as Tharanga.

I am keen for SL selectors try Vandort and Warnapura v England at home....that really has a ring to it...

 

[Richard]

I very much hope Atapattu is still around - he's looked as good in Australia as I can ever remember him looking for more than 1 innings in a row.

 

[Nishan]

Tharanga is in the practise games, i think he is already back home becuase i havent seen him in the dressing room or even carrying the drinks. while i have seen plenty of Mubarak!

 

[wpdavid]

England quick to find their touring rhythm, as Anderson pulls up in their first net in SL.
Oh, and Harmy shows that he still doesn't get it in his interview on cricinfo.

 

[Dasa]

England quick to find their touring rhythm, as Anderson pulls up in their first net in SL.
Oh, and Harmy shows that he still doesn't get it in his interview on cricinfo.

Referring to this (?):

"I desperately want to play for England, but if I'm supposed to be in the side for line-and-length consistency I shouldn't be," Harmison said at the weekend. "Let's be honest, I'm not the best 83mph bowler available to England or the best at 85mph. But when things are going right, with my height and bounce, I can be the best 90mph-plus bowler."

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/slveng/content/story/321045.htm

 

[wpdavid]

Referring to this (?):

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/slveng/content/story/321045.htm

Yeah, that was part of it. tbf it doesn't look as unreasonable there as I remember it, so perhaps I should go easy on him this once.

 

[GIMH]

Spinners struggling today it would seem. presidents XI are 218-3, most bowlers doing okay but Monty and Swann going at over 5.

 

[TT Boy]

And that's stumps. Sri Lanka went at a fairly decent click (3.57) and are spinners spent the best part of the afternoon getting Tharanga and Kapugedera into good touch. Monty's first over cost him 20 whilst Swann went for 5.41 in his 12 overs and apparently the wicket is turning appreciably.

 

[wpdavid]

Apparently they dropped three catches, which astonishes me, even if I should be used to it by now.

 

[Richard]

Was thinking " How could I forget this started today?" then I remembered... it's a 12-a-sider.

Wake me up when the proper stuff starts.

Is it really too much to ask to play 11-a-side in these tour-games? Especially when you've got the rare luxury of two of them.

 

[NZTailender]

Kapugedera (H)