Is SLC planning strategies or promoting self-interest?
Just watching the match at Dharamsala, I just kept on thinking why? The location was very un- Indian where conventional Indian cricket is concerned. The heavy atmosphere was more akin to a match played in cool climes where the ball does things that the batsman does not expect. It was a seamer's paradise and a batsman’s nightmare. Yet, the Indian cricket machine stubbornly posted that as the centre.
It’s true that the worm turned and the Lankans completed a rare win and sealed off a sequence of losses, that was almost becoming an inherent part of their bat drill. Then came the match at Mohali – still in somewhat similar conditions and similarly the newly installed ODI skipper Thisara Perera called right and opted to field. Once again it was overcast and damp in the morning session with lights on while the players were training. Similarly as expected seam held sway and Mathews’ first spell was an inspiration 4-1-9-0. Yet, both Shikar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were not in an undue hurry, unlike at Dharamsala both batsmen watched the ball on to the bat as if they were taking lessons on how to bat on moving conditions.
Gradually both Dhawan and Sharma moved into their stride and by the 25th over, the run rate had soared to 5.5 and even the Lankan fielders who were a pack of terriers initially had to slow down and match the pattern of play while fielding.
As for the Lankans, this is just another ODI and a hard grind to stay competitive among the giants. For the Lankan cricket authorities this was another opportunity to make some fast cash and is why all the switching and fiddling done to make way for the ‘Nidahas Trophy’ in Colombo where the India-Lanka duo would make a threesome with Bangladesh.
Going back to the Lankan series, we learned well in advance that the home team was going take the Lanka tour as a prelude for their South African series. So from the inception, conditions were given to suit that ultimatum and beating the Lankans in the series was just another matter in the agenda. Of the three Test matches, the Lankans drew two and even made a hue and cry about the drawn third match upon the return of the Lankan team in Colombo. But, I wonder if the Indian cricket machine pulled their hair out of the scalps.
What we are aware is Indian cricket is changing and one such move was the setting up of the ‘Big Three’ which was scuttled by the Indians themselves. I am still at a loss as to why they flattened that ‘Big Three’ castle because it is very evident that the Indian dream is not living happily-ever-after with that of its neighbours.
Everyone who knows the weight of the leather ball – I mean the cricket version, knows the story of the ascent of Indian cricket. It may have occurred by default, where they sent a second string side led by Mahendra Sing Dhoni to play the inaugural ICC T-20 Championships keeping Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and a host of seniors back at home and won the Trophy in South Africa.
Knowing the cricket passion in the Indian sub continent it was dial fodder. Initially the BCCI scuttled the ICL effort of marketing the T-20 version and then back- stabbed Lalit Modi to take control of the merchandise – IPL.
But to their credit, the Indian cricket machine did not waste it. There may be short-cuts and other bookie related matters in the melee, but, they really use it to take Indian cricket aura. As a matter of fact, they made use of every Gayle, Warne and Malinga and shape an Indian cricket module that is world class and ultracompetitive.
As for the Indians, now it is time say bye to Sam and hi to Samantha. Now they are on to bigger deeds. Now they want to be counted with the biggies and live up there on their terms. They are not interested in an Indian team which is not competitive only slow-low turning tracks in the sub-continent. They need a change of their cricket gear and they need to do it for real. Now they are aiming to be competitive and be as good as the others while taking on Australia, England and South Africa and play cricket on their terms.
Now it is said that India will play more than half their cricket against the biggies – Australia, England and South Africa in the period after the 2019 World Cup and the next Future Tours Programme (FTP) in 2023. Last week the BCCI decided on a new format.
According to global cricket centre point Cricinfo, “India will play fewer Tests and more T20s, play more of their cricket at home, and will prefer to restrict their southern-hemisphere tours to the newyear.
"The FTP includes no matches against Pakistan outside ICC events, a state of affairs the PCB has challenged. The total workload of the players will reduce, too: according to the BCCI, India will have played 390 days of international cricket plus ICC tournaments in the four-year cycle that ends in 2019, but will only have about 350 match days over the next cycle, including two home ICC events.
"India's engagement with other Test teams is likely to be capped to two matches per series, which is the minimum requirement of the ICC Test Championship. If anything, this only formalises what has been apparent for a while. In the cycle between the World Cups of 2011 and 2015, 80 of India's 166 international matches were against Australia, England and South Africa.”
This means gradually the segregation of cricket is being formalised and the reality of this seems real. Well, Pakistan started scream- ing foul, but, what good would come out of is yet, to be ascertained.
But, as far as the Lankan counterpart is concerned, the SLC is only worried about its longevity. At present the SLC is in a huge hurry to have an SGM so that the tenure of the present officials will be extended by a another six months. In the midst, the some in the SLC hierarchy have made plans to kick its general secretary Mohan de Silva upstairs as Vice President in charge of domestic cricket, but, isn’t it an eyewash and a demotion in reality?
Cricket in this country survived well enough with a tour organising committee to look into international affairs and a tournament committee to look after the day-to-day local tournaments. But, now they have professed that the Lankan cricket is being run on five pillars, but, I beg to ask, since 2015 how many of its pillars have come crashing down.
First, vice president Jayantha Dharmadasa went into hiding. Shammi Silva and Ravin Wickremaratne are booked for sidelining. Mohan de Silva is in the process of being kicked up-stairs and more things are brewing. The only man who is perched firm is -sole authority president of the SLC Thilanga Sumathipala.
Now the latest is the cricket piechart that was produced by Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara. In reality this is a blue print about how our domestic cricket should be programmed and executed. So, in comparison to the Indian cricket machine we are still archaic.
So for the time being, we have got some Indian dollars with the recent engagements, but, what is in store for us as well as for the other minnows is frightening. Now with Afghanistan and Ireland obtaining Test Status the FTP pie-chart will be cut in even thinner slices. But, I still cannot see how SLC lacks a proper vision for Sri Lanka cricket that could elevate ourselves to a position where we could even protest like the Pakistanis.