The penny drops

The squad announced for the upcoming T20 series against India makes some interesting revelations. Two players were omitted from the ODI squad that was engaged in the 3 matches 50 over series. Namely they are Lahiru Thirimanne and Suranga Lakmal.

If one were to jog their memory back to the T20 World Cup 2016 that was also played India, you will recall the pre- tournament drama that played out. There was an eleventh- hour sacking of the Selection Committee barely 24 hours prior to the team’s departure to India.

The Minister in charge and the incumbent President of SLC reigned eloquent on how the Selection Committee has blundered by leaving out key players in this format from the squad. After much heugh and cry two changes were made to the squad and guess what, the two players that were included were Lahiru Thirimanne, and Suranga Lakmal. Who did they discard from that squad with scant respect for merit? It was none other than Niroshan Dikwella and Jeffery Vandersay. Nobody needs to be reminded of the folly this turned out to be, but Dikwella has been a beacon of hope in the midst of the turmoil after been drafted into the team belatedly. One can surf the internet and replay the lofty announcements that were made by these misguided gentlemen professing their ignorance. This fiasco was incidentally the starting point where meddling into selections began precipitating the downward spiral of Sri Lanka cricket.

So, one can only come to the conclusion that the present Minister and President of SLC has finally relented and accepted their ill-founded belief that these two players are unsuitable for this format. Make no mistake the decision to leave them out were made by these gentlemen, the same way Lasith Malinga finds himself sidelined over the monkey remark. It is common knowledge that the present Selection Committee is merely rubber stamping the dictates of the present hierarchy.

The same was the case when a Kangaroo Selection Committee comprising so called “know it all legends” in the form of Aravinda De Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Ro m e s h Kaluwitharana and Lalith Kaluperuma were used to carry their brief for the T20 WC in 2016 when they were appointed for an unprecedented period of one month. One can only hope that they are all hiding their faces in shame following this omission as it becomes abundantly clear what the ground realities are, and in the realization, that they are directly responsible for destroying Sri Lanka cricket to the depths it has sadly plummeted today.

Ajith Peiris PS: The use of Latin in the Heading is intentional as this seem to be the only language the current Minister of Sports understands.