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Lanka’s Pathetic Loss (LPL)

05 Jan 2021

[caption id="attachment_112316" align="aligncenter" width="1229"] A wish of a three-wheel driver: Let this meritorious land have 11 players who could last five days of Test cricket[/caption]
  • Embraced defeat under three days again

  • Proteas take revenge with 2-0 drubbing

  • Who is to blame for appalling preparation?

  • Injuries can add woe to SL against England too

  • What is ‘an industry’ for, when losing at the int’l stage like this

  By Revatha S. SIlva   If Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the national sports administrative structure, under new Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, fail to take note of the result of the South Africa Test series, it may bring about very sad repercussions soon on the dreams of a nation. Such misfortune may also derail the grand future plans of all ambitious individuals who are now at the highest echelons of the country’s sports.   Preparation  
  1. Two years ago in February 2019, almost the same Sri Lanka side under Dimuth Karunaratne (who led the Sri Lanka Test team for the first time then), beat South Africa under Faf du Plessis 2-0 to become the first Asian country to beat them in a Test series on South African soil
 
  1. This time, the preparations for “the return series” went awry from the very early stages mainly due to the coronavirus outbreak
 
  1. Still the SLC and the local sports administration could have done a much better job in terms of preparation for the series, which marked the beginning of a busy 2021 season
 
  1. The Lankan squad for the tour was selected in an awkward manner. They were picked at a time when the new national selection committee had not been officially appointed
 
  1. The national selection committee was later appointed in the eleventh hour, but they didn’t make any amends and the same 22-member squad toured South Africa
  The Lanka Premier League (LPL)  
  1. Sri Lanka’s preparations collided with the hastily organised Lanka Premier League (LPL). Eventually, what went to South Africa was an ill-trained, exhausted, and ill-focused squad
 
  1. Adapting to gruelling Test cricket with the red ball, that too in hostile conditions, just 10 days after playing 21 days of T20 “bang bang” cricket, was next to impossible
 
  1. The coronavirus and its economic impact might have necessitated SLC and the Sports Ministry to conduct the LPL, yet they should have considered the fact that it went on till very close to the South Africa Test series
 
  1. Here, proper management and conditioning of players during the LPL could have allowed SLC to send a fitter and more focused team to South Africa
 
  1. In this case, the way the Australian, Indian, and New Zealand cricket boards prepared/managed their key players during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash League (BBL) before and during important Test series of theirs provided a classic example
 
  1. Sri Lanka Head Coach Mickey Arthur and their Batting Coach Grant Flower could have had a better plan for the South Africa Tests during the “inevitable” LPL tournament, or they could have convinced the authorities with much vigour as to how to do it
 
  1. But, ironically, what happened was that Arthur got involved in television commentaries during the LPL as if he was to train himself for a new profession after his coaching career. Instead, he could have fully and thoroughly involved himself in the preparation of his players for the Protea series
  The first Test  
  1. Eventually, the Test at the challenging Centurion, which began on 26 December 2020, happened to be Sri Lanka’s first after about 10 months. They didn’t have the services of their most experienced batsman Angelo Mathews too, owing to injury while leading one of the franchises of the LPL
 
  1. Before the South Africa Tests, it was the home team that was on the back foot with issues ranging from cricket board politics to appointing an interim committee to run the sport
 
  1. There was uncertainty over who was going to lead their side, etc. Quinton de Kock was named their Test Captain only at the eleventh hour, and the Lankans were considered the favourites
 
  1. Sri Lanka’s downfall in the series began on the second day of the first Test when they lost five players, including the highest scorer at that point (Dhananjaya de Silva), suddenly due to an array of injuries
 
  1. On that day, Sri Lanka had made 396 in their first innings, which was their highest-ever total in a Test in South Africa
 
  1. But by the third day of the Test, Sri Lanka had lost their key batsmen de Silva, and Dinesh Chandimal and their key fast bowlers, Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara, due to injuries. Their injury list had already included leading players Suranga Lakmal and Oshada Fernando
 
  1. The first Test ended under three days, giving the visitors an innings and 45-run defeat
  [caption id="attachment_112317" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Sri Lanka lost the second Test on Tuesday (5) with over two days left[/caption]   Second Test  
  1. With almost six of their permanent Test players lost due to injury, the fate of the second Test had already been written on the wall even before its start
 
  1. Sri Lanka lost the second Test by 10 wickets yesterday (5), that too in two-and-a-half days
 
  1. Sri Lanka’s No. 3 bat, the once-promising Kusal Mendis had three ducks in four innings. Now questions are being raised about whether he had an undue influence to be included in the playing XI in spite of his continuous poor form
 
  1. Sri Lanka being unable to last at least three days in both the Tests is nothing but a clear indication that they have had improper preparation, not a character of a professional international side
 
  1. If so many players in a squad are suffering from injuries, one may ask, “what is the use of all these highly-paid trainers, physios, and masseurs in a so-called professional outfit?”
  Visionary problems  
  1. With at least nine regular players of the Test squad either injured or half fit by the end of the South Africa series, Sri Lanka has already lost the mental game against England, who are to start an important Test series now in eight days’ time in Galle
 
  1. If they continue to lose in the international stage against their oppositions like this, the much-anticipated success gained in local franchise leagues can’t be of any use
 
  1. Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa is all out to develop a local sports industry and a self-sustained sports structure and thus promoted the LPL. But now we all see at what cost
 
  1. Losing in Tests internationally will only degrade the country’s international stature, image, and reputation and, as a result, the financial value and TV rights demand of the national side
 
  1. If Sri Lanka is going to lose like this, their “brand value” will suffer and hence the so-called cricket industry – Minister Rajapaksa’s brainchild – will suffer as well
 
  1. Eventually, it is your success at the international stage, not money generated via franchises – albeit it too might be essential – that would put the country in good and healthy stead, in the long run

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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