Sri Lanka Cricket preaching virtues, practicing hypocrisy | Sunday Observer

Sri Lanka Cricket preaching virtues, practicing hypocrisy

31 March, 2019
Lasith Malinga: Gets bragging rights again after disaster in South Africa
Lasith Malinga: Gets bragging rights again after disaster in South Africa

Cricket followers in Sri Lanka are beginning to realize they are being taken for a ride as administrators have crossed their wires except for one connected to a time bomb situation where the beleaguered coach Chandika Hathurusinha has been “reinstated” and some of his functions handed over to the pushy head selector and team manager Ashantha de Mel.

Some analysts argue that with both De Mel and Hathurusinha having much to safeguard by way of their reputations, it would be a wonder if the two men can go through a smooth World Cup without causing an explosion.

But in the run-up to the World Cup, Sri Lanka has displayed a mock situation where it has picked as many as 84 players some of whom are half baked schoolboys from which the “best 15” will be sent to England to contest the most prized event in international cricket.

“This is a big farce”, said a former player who is currently employed at Sri Lanka Cricket. “Are they going to select schoolboys who score more runs and take more wickets than an experienced player. The World Cup is not for boys, it’s for men”.

But Sri Lanka’s preparation for the 10-nation World Cup in two months time is more than a farce or has been proved to be the biggest eye-wash the country has ever seen.

The upcoming impromptu domestic tournament for the 84 players from which the final 15 will be selected has made downright hypocrisy even before it could start with Sri Lanka Cricket granting permission to fast bowler and stop-gap captain Lasith Malinga to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) just days after declaring he will have to fall in line with the rest and play in the local “trial matches”.

By allowing Malinga to play in the IPL and declaring that he will have better competition, Sri Lanka Cricket has only proved that its upcoming local tournament to prepare players for the World Cup is nothing but a bogus show that undermines their own strategy.

By his past standards, Malinga was a flop with just seven wickets in the recently concluded five-match ODI and three-match T20 series in South Africa playing against just one set of players that leaves analysts wondering what he’ll be able to acquire playing against the world’s best players in the IPL which he has been doing since the IPL began 10 years ago.

Some contend that Sri Lanka Cricket has already committed suicide as the only thing that will happen by Malinga playing in the IPL is that all players who will face him in the World Cup will study him further or what is left of him.

But Malinga, according to past cricketers, has been treated like a sacred cow that even got away after he abused journalists from the Sinhala media seven years ago while in contrast Australian batsman David Warner was removed from the Ashes team for doing the same to a senior journalist.

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