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| Saturday, 19 July 2003 |
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Treading new pastures From the Press box by Sa'adi Thawfeeq Fifth position out of 10 in Tests and sixth out of 11 in one-day internationals just about sums up the present state of Sri Lanka cricket. Certainly it is not a healthy sign from our national cricket team's point of view. Their fortunes in the last 12 months have somewhat dipped to its lowest since the International Cricket Council (ICC) official ratings first came into being in May 2001. The present status of Sri Lanka cricket poses a tough challenge to former Australian Test opener John Dyson to raise the country's fallen image to the position they once attained - third in the Test and second in the one-day rankings. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board succeeded in securing Dyson's services as coach to succeed another former Australian Test cricketer Dav Whatmore who had two stints as coach in 1995 and then again in 1999 covering a period of nearly eight years. When Whatmore took over the national team he had a fine blend of batsmen experienced enough, but in need of someone to guide them to achieve bigger things. He made them a collective unit and toughened them up mentally as well as physically that within a year they had won the World Cup. That instant success not only made the world sit up and take notice of a new cricket force, but it also brought fame and fortune to Whatmore, a virtual nobody before the World Cup. Being coach was not a bed of roses. Even before the success of winning the World Cup had died down, Whatmore was soon seeking fresh pastures, which took him to Lancashire. He remained as their coach till August 1999 when he was reinstated as Sri Lanka coach for the second time. On this occasion he took them to the semi-finals of the 2003 World Cup and gave them a rare run of 10 consecutive Test wins, a feat never achieved in Sri Lanka's cricketing history. Whatmore had a running battle with the national selectors over the selection of certain players. Being only an observer with no clout in selection committee matters made it sometimes difficult to comprehend certain issues on selection the coach may have wanted. He is not always right and the selectors have the right to listen to him, but it is at their discretion to make the final choice. The coach to be frank has no say in selection matters although it is he who works closely with the players day in and day out on the field. A coach cannot influence the selection of any particular player. He can only suggest or make a request for that player to be included obviously with very good reasons to back his choice. Dyson should be made aware of the many intricacies that involve selection in this country. He came out of his maiden appearance with the local media very well with frank answers. The questions that were posed to him would have given him a brief insight to the politics of Sri Lanka cricket, which he may well have to adjust to if he is to succeed. It is similar to when he was a player and tried to acclimatise himself to the conditions in the subcontinent. Being born in Colombo and having received his primary education here Whatmore somewhat had some links to Sri Lanka. Although he became an Australian Test player, deep inside he knew his roots were in Sri Lanka. Dyson has no such connections. What has attracted him to taking the job as Sri Lanka coach is the challenge it offers him. It is something that he has been looking forward to in his lifetime. Probably his nearest links with Sri Lanka is making a tour here with Kim Hughes' Australians in May 1981, the year Sri Lanka were granted Test status by the ICC. It was tour that was vital for Sri Lanka because their application for full membership of the ICC was to be taken up two month's later at Lord's. Dyson opening the batting with Graeme Wood created an early impression by top scoring with 67 in the first limited over match at Moratuwa where Australia squeezed out a win on faster scoring rate and, followed it up with a top score of 68 in the 4-day unofficial Test at the Saravanamuttu Stadium where rain saved the Aussies from certain defeat. Dyson came up against the wiles of Sri Lanka off-spinner Lalith Kaluperuma whom he found a handful during the tour as he constantly spun a web around the Australians capturing eight wickets in the 'Test' and an equal number in the three one-day games. After 22 years, Dyson will find himself up against Kaluperuma. But on this occasion both individuals will be playing different roles - Dyson as coach and Kaluperuma as the chief cricket selector. If they can hit it off together, it will be beneficial to the success of Sri Lanka cricket. That Australian team also included Steve Rixon as wicket-keeper. Rixon, who is New South Wales coach, was one of the front-runners for the Sri Lanka coach's post. But he decided to remain in Sydney, which paved the way for his assistant Dyson to take it. |
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