Cricket Xtra: Sri Lanka should have made use of Jayawardene

Ajit Vijaykumar 06:39 29/02/2016
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  • Sri Lanka legend: Jayawardene.

    The Sri Lankan management is not happy. One of their own has ‘joined’ enemy ranks right before a major tournament and they feel betrayed. Emotions are running high.

    Here is the gist of what happened. Sri Lankan batting great Mahela Jayawardene agreed to join the England team as consultant for 10 days during the World T20 in India. Actually, it was just a continuation of the job he had undertaken last year when he was England’s batting consultant for two Tests during their UAE tour.

    Since Jayawardene was available and the England players were pleased with the input they received the last time, the partnership was renewed for the World T20. Just one issue, though. The Sri Lankan cricket board feels aggrieved and is afraid that Jayawardene could end up sharing inside information as he was part of the dressing room until March last year.

    With England set to face Sri Lanka in the group stage of the World T20, they feel that is a distinct possibility which should have been avoided.

    SLC chief Thilanga Sumathipala, while labelling Jayawardene’s England role ‘sad and disappointing’, added: “I’m very disappointed that a national captain, within a few months of retirement, has been retained by another team at a World Cup. You can’t have a player who has just left your team join a competitive nation. All contracted players who are playing, once they retire from the game, should have at least 24 months (of cooling period) before joining another team for giving advice or coaching.”

    On the face of it, it’s a fair enough opinion. But what SLC hasn’t admitted is the way Jayawardene’s expertise has been shockingly under-utilised by them.

    The 38-year-old is arguably the finest batsman produced by Sri Lanka and one of their best captains. He is a role model for cricketers all over the world and he should have been given a position befitting his stature in the Sri Lankan cricketing structure so that the next generation of players get the best possible guidance. But that was not the case. Not even close.

    Last year, Jayawardene provided his input on a complete overhaul of the nation’s domestic structure to facilitate better administration. He worked for close to a year with the interim committee which handled the board’s affairs and, by the way, in an unpaid capacity.

    But as soon as Sumathipala’s administration took charge, Jayawardene’s plans were scrapped and a year’s worth of work binned. Even before all of this, Jayawardene and the Sri Lankan board disagreed on various issues and their relationship was far from cordial.

    So if the England management have had the good sense of valuing Jayawardene’s experience, it’s the Sri Lankan management’s fault they failed to appreciate the value of the gem in their backyard.

    And anyhow, he took up the job even before the World T20 groups were announced so there was no way England could have selected him specifically to get inside information on the Sri Lankan team.

    Pakistan are also guilty of doing something similar. Wasim Akram is widely regarded as the greatest left-arm fast bowler of all time. But surprisingly, he has never gained a permanent role in the Pakistan establishment and can only count his tenure as bowling coach of IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders as a full-time role.

    He has held short camps for Pakistan fast bowlers, which I feel is an absolute waste of a golden opportunity.

    When it comes to finding suitable roles for its great players, cricket boards need to take a leaf out of India’s book. Batting greats like VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar retired around the same time a few years back.

    The BCCI offered them, along with Sourav Ganguly, positions in an advisory committee last year. While Laxman, Tendulkar and Ganguly said yes, Dravid wanted a job that would see him interact more with cricketers. The Indian board duly appointed him as coach of the U-19 team and Dravid has proved to be an invaluable mentor for the youngsters, guiding them to the final of the 2016 U-19 World Cup.

    The Sri Lankan board, therefore, should look at how it has managed its relation with Jayawardene and ask itself if he really has done anything wrong in taking a job he is fully qualified to do.

    The West Indian in India

    All-rounder Hardik Pandya is establishing himself as a critical member of the Indian limited overs team. His ability to bowl fast-medium and hit big shots in the death overs is a boon for the team that has been looking for someone like him ever since Irfan Pathan went off the radar.

    But what makes Pandya special is that he has modelled his game on the Caribbean brand of cricket. Be it is batting, fielding, celebration or style statements, Pandya is a West Indian at heart – something he has admitted to. It sure makes for great viewing.

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