If South Africa beat India and make the World T20 final...

[Burgey]

TBF, my frustration isn't with SL players as blokes or anything personal like that. I get the ****s when they tour here because, with all due respect to a team which would probably cane us on their home turf right now, they've just never really put anything up here by way of a decent run of consistent cricket. And it ****s me.

Last summer, because of scheduling, SA came here for the early tests and SL for the Christmas-NY tests. Whilst it was great to see Sanga, and of course Jayawardene is a terrific fella, it was like going to lunch and having main course served before entree. We know we'll get the one epic SCG ODI performance each summer, but that's about it (mind you, it got washed out iirc. I spent the evening session bowling to my young bloke under the Brewongle Stand). I want them to kick on when they tour outside the SC, but they don't seem to for some reason after all this time, and it annoys me.

Mind you, I hope they flog England. Aren't they touring there this winter?

 

[Maximas]

Yeah, I think the tour starts in June, so keen, except it's only 2 tests

The thing is, they don't tour for as long as or as often as say, India by comparison, and I think this makes it more difficult to be consistent overseas. Also, the Sri Lankan public enjoy LO cricket more, the players are better at it and the board's money incentives seem to be targeted towards ODI/t20 cricket, so naturally SL is better at it. Speaking of that tour to Australia for instance, while they got flogged in the tests, they actually won the limited overs stuff 4-2 counting the t20s, and they pushed Australia hard during the tri-series the previous summer, of course it should be considered that SL probably cared more about these matches then Australia did, but still. Shows that they aren't completely inept overseas, even if it's not the format that is arguably most challenging to play overseas.

You and I obviously care more about tests, but when your own cricket board starts moving a test series against the no 1 side for a SLPL that ends up getting cancelled or cancelling tests against WI just for another chance to play ODIs against India you start to see that it's quite a different situation to here for instance. It's sad, but that's ultimately why I think it's a good thing to get countries like Sri Lanka playing on the big stage every now and then, even if it means entrée gets served for main like it did a couple of summers ago.

 

[Jono]

That Australian tour wasn't great from them last year, but it was made to look worse because of their MCG performance I reckon. They were okay in Hobart and Sydney.

Burgey isn't this just the problem with cricket in general though? Only 8 teams and half of them are **** anyway? Sri Lanka is an odd one to solely pick on imo. Test cricket is just ****ed.

 

[Jono]

Actually in Sydney they got a few late wicket to make that 4th innings chase look closer than it was, forgot about that.

 

[Maximas]

Actually in Sydney they got a few late wicket to make that 4th innings chase look closer than it was, forgot about that.

Half of the first choice team was missing as well, might've really pushed Aus if Sanga and the fast bowlers were available

 

[Jono]

Was gutted when Sanga was out.

 

[Adders]

How is it Sri Lankas fault that Australia and South Africa share the same seasons and both want to play at home over their Christmas/New Year period??

Anytime South Africa tour here the series is going to be the "entree" and you will have a lesser team as the main course.

 

[Burgey]

That Australian tour wasn't great from them last year, but it was made to look worse because of their MCG performance I reckon. They were okay in Hobart and Sydney.

Burgey isn't this just the problem with cricket in general though? Only 8 teams and half of them are **** anyway? Sri Lanka is an odd one to solely pick on imo. Test cricket is just ****ed.

All teams go through ups and downs though. I'm old enough to remember Australia in the 80s, ok? I guess my beef is I don't know that they've progressed a great deal. This isn't like the WI. I don't know anyone who says "I long for the old days of the great SL team of........." It's just been mediocrity from go to woah.

 

[Burgey]

How is it Sri Lankas fault that Australia and South Africa share the same seasons and both want to play at home over their Christmas/New Year period??

Anytime South Africa tour here the series is going to be the "entree" and you will have a lesser team as the main course.

The scheduling isn't their fault, of course. What I mean is, no matter who visited before them, they'd be the entree.

 

[Jono]

All teams go through ups and downs though. I'm old enough to remember Australia in the 80s, ok? I guess my beef is I don't know that they've progressed a great deal. This isn't like the WI. I don't know anyone who says "I long for the old days of the great SL team of........." It's just been mediocrity from go to woah.

People may actually say that about the Mahela/Sanga era

 

[Muloghonto]

I was certainly wrong in my initial post in this thread when I said SL hasn't accomplished anything on the world cricketing stage. Thet did, after all, get a rule changed and deserve a fair bit of credit for that.

You were saying ?

So bud, how many people tuned in for their T20 cup victory ? Now, how many tuned in for your precious ashes ?
They havn't won anything my left ass-cheek.
They are one of the most successful teams at world stage and though not entertaining ( they are a bit to cricket what Italy was/is to soccer- talented & flair play from individuals but somehow the team is always very boring as a whole), they have accomplished a heck of a lot in the last 20 years. Apart from Australia and India, I dont think any other nation has as many trophies as SL does, especially in world level international play.

 

[Burgey]

I can't believe you, like Maximas earlier in the day, thought I was actually paying them a compliment with the "got a rule changed" comment.

No they haven't won anything away that's worthwhile, is what I said. Fancy saying they're like Italy in football, in which there is one format. What an absurd proposition. I've read three posts of yours so far, and you make these absurd, inapt comparisons in all of them.

Italy are competitive from time to time away from home.SL are closer to the Parramatta NRL team than they are to any international sporting team. Comfortable and very occasionally dominant in conditions with which they're familiar, but nothing any place else.

As an aside, are you that fella from ICF who used to post as CC1981? Your posting style is very similar.

 

[Maximas]

I can't believe you, like Maximas earlier in the day, thought I was actually paying them a compliment with the "got a rule changed" comment.

What? No, of course I knew you were kidding!

 

[Burgey]

Oh good.

I just want SL to kick on, and it ****s me that they haven't.

 

[the big bambino]

Dead set ICF drone. The comparison with Italy is one of the more idiotic I've seen.

 

[Maximas]

And the Italy comparison was to do with how entertaining they are to watch btw - or at least that's how I saw it

 

[Dan]

Not many SL players going to county cricket, are there? I know Murali and Vaas did, but can't think of any in recent years. Would benefit immensely, IMO.

 

[Maximas]

Not many SL players going to county cricket, are there? I know Murali and Vaas did, but can't think of any in recent years. Would benefit immensely, IMO.

Especially right now, when not many of them are playing IPL anyway, even club cricket might be an idea, like what Prasanna Jayawardene did last year

I think Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath have done some county stints, although that was a few years ago now iirc

 

[the big bambino]

And the Italy comparison was to do with how entertaining they are to watch btw - or at least that's how I saw it

Well I suppose that's true but within the parameter of SL's worth to their sport in terms of their performance. In that regard a long way off Italy's in soccer.

 

[Maximas]

Well I suppose that's true but within the parameter of SL's worth to their sport in terms of their performance. In that regard a long way off Italy's in soccer.

Agreed but I think he was only drawing a comparison on that point about exciting players yet boring team to watch