*Official* Sri Lanka in South Africa 2020/21 Tests

[trundler]

Where's Embuldeniya

 

[TT Boy]

Where's Embuldeniya

He will be opening the bowling and batting four at the Wanderers. Rajitha will also play as a specialist batsman.

 

[Gnske]

Did someone say in-game injury substitutes?

 

[honestbharani]

Did someone say in-game injury substitutes?

 

[mr_mister]

Did someone say in-game injury substitutes?

I don't care! I love it!

 

[cnerd123]

This SL performance actually puts me off the idea of subs for game-ending injuries, given a lot of these injuries are caused by simply being unfit for Test Cricket.

 

[Spark]

This SL performance actually puts me off the idea of subs for game-ending injuries, given a lot of these injuries are caused by simply being unfit for Test Cricket.

you still get punished for that though, by being forced to use (in principle) inferior players.

 

[cnerd123]

you still get punished for that though, by being forced to use (in principle) inferior players.

perhaps. Or you benefit by bringing in a fresh pair of legs each time one of your starting XI gets exhausted and breaks down.

 

[Spark]

perhaps. Or you benefit by bringing in a fresh pair of legs each time one of your starting XI gets exhausted and breaks down.

yeah but they're still worse players. idk, "it might be gamed" is not in itself a good reason not to do it; there are ways to counteract that.

 

[cnerd123]

yeah but they're still worse players. idk, "it might be gamed" is not in itself a good reason not to do it; there are ways to counteract that.

I just think if your squad is that unfit you should be forced to suffer the repercussions for it. Don't want to see teams regularly subbing out players because they cbf running laps in the leadup to the series. It's different if you've got a broken arm ofc, but then you need someone to decide between which injuries get a sub and which don't.

 

[Spark]

I just think if your squad is that unfit you should be forced to suffer the repercussions for it. Don't want to see teams regularly subbing out players because they cbf running laps in the leadup to the series. It's different if you've got a broken arm ofc, but then you need someone to decide between which injuries get a sub and which don't.

yeah but come on. it's really not fair to criticise SL for that, they've had no warmups and are participating in this tour under pretty extreme conditions. they're obviously lacking conditioning but, like, what else are they going to do? just not play? they can't have warmups because of the pandemic, and going from nothing for ages --> elite level sport is going to cause soft tissue injuries.

SL are the ones really going out of their way to make this series happen at all, and it does rather feel like they're being punished for it.

 

[cnerd123]

yeah but come on. it's really not fair to criticise SL for that, they've had no warmups and are participating in this tour under pretty extreme conditions. they're obviously lacking conditioning but, like, what else are they going to do? just not play? they can't have warmups because of the pandemic.

Extreme circumstances this game, sure. And even then losing so many players due to injured is clearly a freak occurence. But assume a side has enough time to prepare and their players still drop like this? Fitness and conditioning are part of Test cricket, I don't think a side should get to cover for players lacking in it.

 

[Spark]

Extreme circumstances this game, sure. And even then losing so many players due to injured is clearly a freak occurence. But assume a side has enough time to prepare and their players still drop like this? Fitness and conditioning are part of Test cricket, I don't think a side should get to cover for players lacking in it.

how many instances can you recall ever of more than a single soft muscle injury in a test match for a team? it must be pretty rare.

 

[Gnske]

how many instances can you recall ever of more than a single soft muscle injury in a test match for a team? it must be pretty rare.

To be fair, I'd be surprised if SL weren't guilty of this a few times in the last decade that I've been watching, maybe just in a test series however. Worth looking into, albeit there'll be a few broken bones in between.

 

[SeamUp]

I feel for Sri Lanka. Pretty unique circumstances but it has brought some pure comedy.

Hasaranga being jettisoned off yesterday on a motor-stretcher after rolling on the ball and men in surgeon suits felt like stuff straight out of a movie.

 

[cnerd123]

how many instances can you recall ever of more than a single soft muscle injury in a test match for a team? it must be pretty rare.

Didn't it happen to India at some point during their horror overseas run? I'm sure they've had games where they were 2 players down, but one of those injuries might have been external blow.

Also this SL side did mostly play in the LPL before this tour. There wasn't an opportunity to get the squad together for conditioning, or to get a warmup in SA, but they aren't exactly coming in from nothing. And besides that, fitness should be an individual players' responsibility. They can't be waiting around for the SLC to set up a national training camp before they get in shape to play. This is their career, they should always be in shape to play.

Even putting this game to the side, I think allowing for subs when players are injured due to being unfit isn't the right direction to go. Fitness matters. I get that subs enhance the spectacle for fans, and that in some cases injuries are unavoidable, but when the injuries can be avoided...

 

[Gnske]

Didn't it happen to India at some point during their horror overseas run? I'm sure they've had games where they were 2 players down, but one of those injuries might have been external blow.

Also this SL side did mostly play in the LPL before this tour. There wasn't an opportunity to get the squad together for conditioning, or to get a warmup in SA, but they aren't exactly coming in from nothing. And besides that, fitness should be an individual players' responsibility. They can't be waiting around for the SLC to set up a national training camp before they get in shape to play. This is their career, they should always be in shape to play.

Even putting this game to the side, I think allowing for subs when players are injured due to being unfit isn't the right direction to go. Fitness matters. I get that subs enhance the spectacle for fans, and that in some cases injuries are unavoidable, but when the injuries can be avoided...

I agree with you, I think fat people should be shamed and deserve no pity.

 

[Migara]

This SL performance actually puts me off the idea of subs for game-ending injuries, given a lot of these injuries are caused by simply being unfit for Test Cricket.

It is actually the case. It is sad to see that the fitness instructor Villavarayan 45+ is still fitter than all the players. This was a team which bragged about fitness geeks like Jayasuriya, Vaas, Murali, Sangakkara and Jayawardane. Aravinda, Chandana, Dharmasena, Herath, Atapattu etc were not slouches either when it comes to game fitness.

too much clubbing, too much women, too much money and too much booze is the main reason.

 

[Shady Slim]

I agree with you, I think fat people should be shamed and deserve no pity.

easy there now matty wade

 

[Daemon]

This was a team which bragged about fitness geeks like Jayasuriya, Vaas, Murali, Sangakkara and Jayawardane. Aravinda, Chandana, Dharmasena, Herath, Atapattu etc were not slouches either when it comes to game fitness.

I only saw most of these guys in the latter part of their careers but "fitness geeks" is not something I'd use to describe some of them.