*Official* New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2019

[Jezroy]

Astle's been unlucky for sure with the injuries and what not and being a fringe figure in each of the tests he's played (that 35 on debut was rather special though it must be said). Hard to ignore the body of work in domestic cricket nevertheless so deserves the chance to show if he can survive at the international level. Would be a cool story if he plays and has a good tour, but with KW not appearing to be his greatest fan (or of legspin as a possible weapon in general) it probably won't pan out that way.

Kane don't like spinners. He looks at them bowling and says "**** ****! I could have bowled that! May as well bring myself on!"

Then generally fails to bring himself on.

 

[Athlai]

KW believes in Santa.

 

[Bahnz]

It's always easy to forget that in the 2 tests where Astle was actually needed, he made handy little contributions. If we decide to play 3 spinners (and I wouldn't be entirely opposed to that strategy), then Ajaz, Astle and Sommers would be my pick.

 

[Flem274*]

we need to be really careful with this series. they did what we could not and beat sa at home.

 

[NZTailender]

we need to be really careful with this series. they did what we could not and beat sa at home.

We always catch SA when they're in a strong phase, rarely in a rebuilding phase.

 

[SteveNZ]

Kane don't like spinners. He looks at them bowling and says "**** ****! I could have bowled that! May as well bring myself on!"

Then generally fails to bring himself on.

I've thought about this a lot, Kane doesn't like risk. He's a calculated character. Wouldn't be fair to say he doesn't like spinners because he does like Santner, someone who doesn't go for runs. Brendon was more comfortable with risk, therefore gave Ish more rope (potentially). Astle might suit Kane as well, not someone who bowls as many rank balls (or does he?).I'd say if you're a wicket taking, run leaking spinner like Ish or Mark Craig, you're probably not getting a go as much as you'd like under Kane.

 

[StephenZA]

we need to be really careful with this series. they did what we could not and beat sa at home.

We always catch SA when they're in a strong phase, rarely in a rebuilding phase.

You need to pull out some 'mystery' spinner just before you tour SA and watch us crumble. That fast bowling nonsense is not likely to work.

 

[Jezroy]

Astle might suit Kane as well, not someone who bowls as many rank balls (or does he?).

I seem to remember that day/night test we won against England, and even though Astle got a 3fer, he was a bit inconsistent.

Have to wait and see I guess. I still feel like even with Santner, Kane plays it very very conservatively. But in SL (especially Galle), he’s not going to have much choice one feels.

 

[Bahnz]

I seem to remember that day/night test we won against England, and even though Astle got a 3fer, he was a bit inconsistent.

Have to wait and see I guess. I still feel like even with Santner, Kane plays it very very conservatively. But in SL (especially Galle), he’s not going to have much choice one feels.

Yeah, Astle bowls his fair share of long hops, and it can be said that only 1 of the 3 wickets that he got from England came from a genuinely good ball (though he did bowl a few of those too). I tend to agree with Flem, that on pitches taking a lot of turn, leg spinners are less useful, because what matters most in those conditions is accuracy with slight change-ups.

 

[SteveNZ]

Yeah, Astle bowls his fair share of long hops, and it can be said that only 1 of the 3 wickets that he got from England came from a genuinely good ball (though he did bowl a few of those too). I tend to agree with Flem, that on pitches taking a lot of turn, leg spinners are less useful, because what matters most in those conditions is accuracy with slight change-ups.

Except to left-handers though, right? Does Sri Lanka have a few of them?

Maybe Santner just needs more opportunities. Has 8 wickets at 17 in the fourth innings of Tests, and a respectable 10 at 34 in third innings' while keeping it tight too. Still think Ajaz is a much better bowler, but it couldn't ever be said that Santner has let us down.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Yeah, Astle bowls his fair share of long hops, and it can be said that only 1 of the 3 wickets that he got from England came from a genuinely good ball (though he did bowl a few of those too). I tend to agree with Flem, that on pitches taking a lot of turn, leg spinners are less useful, because what matters most in those conditions is accuracy with slight change-ups.

I remember the test Astle did play in Sri Lanka he was absolutely all over the place. That was his first though, and ages ago ... hopefully he’s improved.

 

[Jezroy]

4 days to go until the warm up game. Be interesting to see what kind of pitch is served up. Spinning to demoralise our batsmen against some average spinners? Seaming so our spinners don’t get a good warm up, and we think our seam bowlers are going to do the job? Or road, so batsmen get inflated sense of form, and bowlers get nothing except overs under the belt?

Interesting to see just how much better Sri Lanka were than Bangladesh when they were:

A: Back at home
B: Not playing Shakib

Yes I know it was JAMODIs, but still.

 

[Flem274*]

the journalists of cricinfo

Of the 15 men picked for the tour, only Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson have previously played Tests in Sri Lanka. Also, their full-time batting coach Peter Fulton is only days into his job. New Zealand hope Samaraweera's experience - he played 81 Tests, averaging 48, and had also been part of the Sri Lankan support staff last year - could help them overcome their own inexperience.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...araweera-work-new-zealand-test-team-sri-lanka

ftr taylor, williamson, southee, boult and astle have all played test cricket in sri lanka

thank god for the alternative commentary collective, probably the only cricketing media that isn't too busy guzzling virat kohli's *** to comment with any accuracy on the rest of cricket.

 

[NZTailender]

the journalists of cricinfo



https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...araweera-work-new-zealand-test-team-sri-lanka

ftr taylor, williamson, southee, boult and astle have all played test cricket in sri lanka

thank god for the alternative commentary collective, probably the only cricketing media that isn't too busy guzzling virat kohli's *** to comment with any accuracy on the rest of cricket.

I would've expected that from a Stuff article, but come on. Surely you could use your own website to check.

 

[wrongun]

I remember that tour so clearly. It was the first time since about 2004 that I’d felt optimistic about the team’s future.

So do I. Remember watching it India and Bracewell getting someone to edge one in the slips....we’re the days when a Taylor and Baz or NZ management were clashing

 

[Jezroy]

Oh dear... quite a few thunder storms predicted right through the 3 day game starting Thursday. I know that they’re generally supposed to clear quite quickly, but the forecast is ****ed

 

[Maximas]

Oh dear... quite a few thunder storms predicted right through the 3 day game starting Thursday. I know that they’re generally supposed to clear quite quickly, but the forecast is ****ed

SL groundsman will take care of it

 

[NZTailender]

Do we know who we're playing? Schedule still says TBA

 

[Kippax]

Well according to the cricket club that's hosting the game, it'll be a President's XI featuring some Test, Sri Lanka A and emerging players.

SLC just named a new selection panel and interim head coach for this NZ tour on Monday, so they're in too much of a state of upheaval to have actually published the President's XI squad anywhere, to my knowledge.

Hathurusingha Sacked Jayaratne Interim Coach, Tom Moody shortlisted as Head Coach

The Island

August 5, 2019, 10:38 pm
by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to terminate the contract of Chandika Hathurusingha, the Head Coach of the national cricket team, after the two parties failed to come to a mutual agreement to sever ties. Following the ICC Cricket World Cup where Sri Lanka finished sixth, SLC had indicated to the Head Coach that they were looking for a replacement but Hathurusingha was interested in staying on till the end of his contract in December 2020. SLC had agreed to pay him six months of his salary to bring an early end to the contract but Hathurusingha maintained that he could still help development of players.


SLC CEO Ashley De Silva will be the messenger who will deliver the bad news to the former all-rounder today. Hathurusingha is expected to fight his case in courts, much like Geoff Marsh, who successfully sued SLC eight years ago after being unceremoniously dumped from his job. Interestingly, it took Marsh four weeks since winning Sri Lanka their maiden Test match in South Africa to be booted out. Similarly, four months after winning a first ever Test series in South Africa, Hathurusingha has been sent home.

SLC will indicate the national cricket’s terms poor performances as the reason for the early termination of contract. The board is expected to point out their displeasure at Hathurusingha’s conduct during the ball tampering controversy in the Caribbean last year as well.

Hathurusingha will have a strong case to argue in courts as he was stripped of selector’s duty midway through his contract and he will point out that he can not be held responsible for something that was beyond his control.

During a media briefing yesterday, Sports Minister Harin Fernando throwing down the gauntlet said that either Hathurusingha could renegotiate his contract or go on the legal path. SLC may have had reservations in getting into a legal battle with Hathurusingha but it appears that their hands were tied as Fernando was insisting on change.

Meanwhile Chief Operating Officer of SLC Jerome Jayaratne is set to take over as Interim Coach during the bilateral series against New Zealand. Jayaratne, one of the longest serving employees of SLC having joined the governing body in 2000 is a career coach with international reputation. Until 2017, he functioned as Director Coaching when SLC sprung wholesale changes to the coaching set up. The results since then have been disastrous. Jayaratne functioned in a similar role in 2015 after Marvan Atapattu stepped down as Head Coach. He is expected to be retained in his usual position of Director Coaching replacing High Performance Manager Asanka Gurusingha, whose contract will end later this month.

Meanwhile former Sri Lanka Head Coach Tom Moody has expressed his desire to return to Colombo as SLC is head-hunting for a replacement for Hathurusingha. Moody, who won the World Cup twice as a player in 1987 and 1999, is one of the most successful coaches of Sri Lanka and earned a reputation for his no nonsense approach during his tenure in Colombo.

Some SLC bigwigs seem to be having reservations about Moody’s credentials claiming that he is ‘old school’. But in truth, they maybe trying to discourage Moody from joining the set up as the Australian doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Furthermore, head-hunting the Head Coach in years gone by was reserved to the Cricket Committee, which comprised some of the finest cricket brains in the country. The Executive Committee merely gave the approval. Like Pope, the present Executive Committee seem to be thinking that they are infallible. To quote another Pope, Alexander, the 17th century English poet, ‘Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread.’

 

[Maximas]

Can't lose under a caretaker coach surely