Asking Jayasuriya to bat down the order is not worth a gamble

Very few sportsmen in the world today carry on playing at the age of 40, particularly in Cricket, wherein the schedule is so demanding. Sanath Jayasuriya is one of the few exceptions around, It requires a lot of courage, determination & most importantly the hunger & zeal towards the sport.

Yes the body has its own story to tell at the age of 40, yet the man from Matara continues to play the game with the same intensity. The slash over the point still travels to the advertising boards like a tracer bullet, the pickup shot still gets effortlessly deposited into the stands, and the match winning ability with the bat isn’t dwindling either.

Despite all the accomplishments and credentials questions have been raised on the presence of Jayasuriya in the Sri Lankan scheme of things. Many feel perhaps it’s time for Jayasuriya to pass on the torch to a young prodigy in the country. But are they drawing curtains on Sanath a bit too early, hang on the man is still delivering on a consistent note. Probably the question that everyone needs to ask is, whether there is anybody in Sri Lanka to fill the big boots of Sanath? Let’s face it it’s not easy to replace Sanath. So for how long can the man continue playing?

To make matters worse for Jayasuriya, the Sri Lankan management has asked him to step down the batting order to provide more stability to the team. Although the position is not new for Sanath, as he started off his career in the middle order. But it’s hard to comprehend such a move, simply because the man has been more prolific opening the batting for Sri Lanka, and his records speaks volumes of his ability at the top.

Now is the move to bat Jayasuriya down the order justified? Apparently the coach and the Captain want him to strengthen the middle order, but in the bargain are missing out on something substantial .Clearly the Lankans are missing a trick by depriving Sanath of opening the batting, which is already proving detrimental to their cause. Mind you he has won innumerable matches on his own batting at the top for the side, so I see no concrete reason for the demotion.

Now that the experiment is not paying off, it’s imperative to reconsider the decision.

As I write this piece, my mind takes me back to the 1996 world cup, the lethal pair of Romesh Kaluwitharana & Sanath Jayasuriya were going berserk, decimating the opposition bowlers all over the sub continent, above all they complimented each other pretty well. Now Sri Lanka is extremely lucky here, the reason I say that is purely because of Dilshan”s resurgence. The Sri Lankans can relive the Kaluwitharana & Jayasuriya partnership by asking Sanath & Dishan to open on a consistent basis. Imagine the destruction these two can cause to the opposition.

We can only speculate about Jayasuriya’s retirement, but till the time he actually does hang his boots let’s hope & wish that is back to the position where he is second best to none.

THE COMEBACK FAST MEN OF TEST CRICKET

A great bouncer whizzing past the batsman’s ears, a Yorker crushing the batsman’s toes, a prodigious in-cutter & out-swinger bamboozling the batsman were a common sight during the Tests matches played in Dunedin, Wellington & Kanpur over the fortnight.

Indeed, I must confess that it is a great spectacle to witness fast bowlers steaming in to the wicket, rearing to go at batsmen. And that’s what transpired over the few weeks with the likes of Shane Bond, Sreesanth& Mohammad Asif winning matches for their respective teams with some hostile bowling.

It was a fine display of bowling from Asif, who was immaculate with his line & length. Bond was hitting the deck hard, constantly disconcerting the batsmen. As a result, both went on to pick 8 wickets each, a match-clinching haul. On the other side of the world in Kanpur Sreesanth managed to pick up 6 wickets for his side with his skill and perseverance.

All three bowlers had one thing in common: they were making a comeback into Test match cricket. Incidentally, this happens to be the toughest format of the game to make a comeback.However, Much to the delight of their fans,they defied all odds and went on to deliver match winning performances with the ball.

Unfortunately, the last two years had the three caught in the quagmire of controversy, which deprived them of key opportunities. Several times they have been reprimanded for their antics and dare I say this may be the last time.

Yes, looking back it was very unfortunate that these gifted bowlers were hounded by controversies which kept them away from their national side for nearly two years. Having said that, it was very pleasing to see these fast bowlers operate with good rhythm this time around. And yes, test match cricket needs the likes of Bond, Sreesanth & Asif to be at their best at all possible times, given the old adage: that bowlers win you test matches.

Perhaps Asif, Bond & Sreesanth would do well to keep away from the unwanted and just do what they are best known for, much to the delight of ardent believers in their bowling worldwide.

Is the future of 50-over cricket in jeopardy?

A lot has been said and written about the 50-over format over the last 3 to 4 months. Since its introduction into the game four decades ago, it has been a source of much thrill & excitement to fans across the globe. However, since the arrival of the newest and the shortest form of the game, the 20-20, questions have begun getting raised, over the viability of a 50-over match.

Now why is the T-20 constantly threatening the 50-over format?
Put simply, it is a short, rapid-fire format, aimed at action-packed entertainment in three hours, compared to the eight hours of a 50-over match.
It is crash, boom, bang from the word go, much to delight of the crowd. The format is so riveting and gripping that it keeps the spectators on the edges of their seats throughout the game.

Not to say that a 50-over match is not entertaining enough. Maybe, the format being a little bit protracted and time-consuming might be what makes the outlook of fans towards it a little assorted.

Apart from ardent devotees of the game, the majority of the crowd goes to the stadium wanting to watch a Pietersen reverse sweep or a Dilshan dilli-scoop in preference to a more orthodox stroke play. A quick, breath-taking knock of 30 or a 40 from a Sehwag or a Gilchrist is more captivating for a spectator than a laborious innings of 80 or 100 made by a Dravid or a Kallis in the most grueling conditions. Instant gratification, sustained over a few hours, if you like.

A classic example is of the recently concluded Champions Trophy in South Africa where the organizers failed to attract crowds. Was it largely due to the premature exit of India and more importantly the home team? One can only speculate!
Now with that being said, the stadiums were not even half full during the semi-finals and the final stage. It’s a shame that the crowd didn’t turn up; after all, here was a top Cricket match being played between top international favorites.

So where is the 50-over cricket match heading? Is time running short for the 50 over format?
This is a serious situation for the ICC to mull over.
The challenge now for the ICC is to safeguard one day international cricket before things get out of hand. Yes, the super-sub was introduced in to the game without any great success and the power-plays are not making any significant impact, so to say. Already, there have been mixed reactions from the current and ex-players, coming out with different interesting theories.
Talks about the game being curtailed to 40 overs per side have been discussed. Recently, Sachin Tendulkar even suggested splitting each match into four innings, to add an element of uncertainty. The ICC might need to think long and hard to come up with something equally crowd-pulling and entertaining in order to preserve the 50-over format.

As of today the question in everybody’s mind is, will the 50-over format hold its own?
Will we see sweeping changes made to the game, tailor-made for excitement?
Only time will tell.

India –Australia One day series preview

In about a week’s time cricket fans all over the world will be looking forward to one of the most anticipated one day series between two cricketing giants India and Australia.

The focus will shift from the ongoing Champions League 20-20 to one of the best bilateral series of this year if not the best.

As expected the mind games have already begun by Brett Lee predicting a 7-0 whitewash. The Aussies are masters at the mind games which they more often than not back it up with a good performance on the field. When the Aussies last toured India for the One day Internationals they won the series quite comprehensively 5-2. Things now are a lot different from then, the Aussies have lost some of their world class performers due to retirement and the likes of Clarke, Ferguson and Haddin are missing from their ranks due to injuries, but already few of their young cricketers are playing in India as a result getting acclimatized to the Indian conditions which will come in very handy in grueling Indian conditions. The current Aussie side has a nice blend of youth and experience.

On the other hand the home team will be trying to turn things around after their shambolic performance in the Champions Trophy. Comeback men Sehwag and Yuvraj will bolster the Indian batting, the bowling department which has been quite dismal over the past few months has to step up and rise to the occasion in order to be competitive. One thing is certain that the Indian team will have full support of the fans playing in their own backyard.

There’s a lot at stake for both the teams, the Indian team will be looking ahead to dethroning the Aussies from their top perch, on the other hand the Kangaroos who are fresh from a Champions Trophy win for the second consecutive time will be looking to tighten their grip on their No. 1 position which the Aussies firmly believe is theirs.