Lanka’s economic First XI to bat for nation’s victory

Tottering on the brink of getting all out with the scoreboard heavily against them, cabinet selectors chose on Monday an economic First XI to bat for Lanka in the fast fading light of day. At the eleventh hour, the cabinet drew strength from its inspirational choice of selecting the quintessence of the available players to pull off a stunning victory from certain defeat or, at least, to save the game but, without a rain cloud in sight, that seemed a near impossibility.

Of their consummate skills as all-rounders, there need be no retelling. They are proven mettle. They can hit round the wicket and over the tent; and, in the field of spin, can deliver wily googles that outrank the ‘dhoostra’ magic. Suffice to say, their reputations precede their selection.

Led by skipper President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his able deputy Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who will monitor progress from the Pavilion dressing room, the team comprises star bat Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa who, with his mighty sixers, can make the ball go have hit the kaputas; followed by top fast bowlers, Highways Minister Johnston Fernando, known for his deadly bouncers, and Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, famous for his sharp outswingers, so sharp that they bounce back on him; plus master spin bowlers, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena whose unpredictable leg cutters leave those at the receiving end clean bowled and Plantation Minister Ramesh Pathirana who sometimes doubles up as commentator and often adds his inimitable spin for the side in his commentary; with the fielding left in the capable hands of Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal, brilliant at silly point, Central Bank Deputy Governor Dhammika Nanayakkara at cover, Presidential Secretary Gamini Senarath, handy in the slips, and Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalla as wicket keeper, known for saving the ball after it had left the bowlers’ greasy fingers. This then is the A team that will play in the coming days to a packed stadium of 6.9 million cheering spectators, thirsting to see the promised vistas of splendorous victories coming down on the drought ridden Galle Face Esplanade. And, no doubt, with such talent in action, they will.

A win here, will definitely renew and boost both local and international punters in the solid Lankan team and will reverberate successes in other fields as well. In fact heavy hang the shoulders that delivers the ‘dhoostra’ or leathers it for a smashing six, for the team has been told to keep their eye on the economic pitch, to accelerate the run rate and watch how the ball turns on the turf after it was damaged by the viral invasion two years ago. They have also been told to see how best to economically re-curate the ground and to increase ticket sales by revisiting revenue policies.

But rest assured. Lanka’s future triumphs, nay, its very survival on this carbonic turf where the ball hardly turns, is in their expert hands.

Some countries, however, do it differently. Rather than depend on the practical aspect, they place more weight on the theoretical part. The so-called scientific method which is supposed to produce miracles. Take, for instance, India – not the Central Government – where the Tamil Nadu State Government hired an expensive set of highbrows last year to form a team to advise the Government how best to perform better on any wicket.

This council of five include an Esther Duflo, a 2019 Nobel Prize joint winner in Economics, a professor of poverty alleviation and development economist at M.I.T. in USA, who has worked extensively in India during the last twenty years, including in Tamil Nadu; a Raghuram Rajan, a Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago’s Booth School, a former Governor of India’s Reserve Bank and Chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (2003-2006); and an Aravind Subramanian, the Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government from 2014 to 2018, and presently a senior fellow at the Brown’s University’s Watson Institute for Public Affairs.

Well, that’s Tamil Nadu’s choice. Different strokes for different folks, eh? An Indo-foreign hybrid of faint hope to triumph over Tamil Nadu’s poverty of runs and clinch the game.

Lanka has no cause for alarm, no need to fret. She has something more than money can buy. The selectors have chosen the best hopes, the best home grown indigenous strategists to win the day-night series, even on a struggling wicket, even without lights.

But when the Great Voter comes to mark a cross against their names at the hustings, he or she will not only note whether they won or lost but how straight they played the game.