No chances could be taken with ongoing World Cup

by Elmo Rodrigopulle

Cricket fans in Sri Lanka, especially supporters of former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu must be wondering what's gone wrong and why Atapattu is not being given a game.

Apparently the selectors on tour, after close scrutiny, think that there is no way that they can bring the former captain into the picture.

Today, professional cricket is a hard grind. Winning is the thing and no chances could be taken, especially in the on going World Cup.

For Atapattu to play, either Sanath Jayasuriya or Upul Tharanga must be unavailable. Even that is not a guarantee.

Selectors are known to act in mysterious ways, and it is no different with the Lankan selectors on tour.

But I can assure Attapattu's fans at home that nothing sinister is taking place not to fit Atapattu in the playing eleven.

However to the credit of the former Sri Lankan captain it must be said, that he is hard at practice and doing all that is asked of him during the training sessions.

Atapattu apparently does not outwardly seem to be upset. But inside it must be telling.

What is admirable is that Atapattu has been performing the 12th man's job without a murmur which must be appreciated.

Atapattu will turn 37 on November 22. The question to be asked is can Attapattu continue to play the fast-forward one-day game at this age?

Atapattu himself is the best man to answer that question.

It was his unfortunate back problem, that went to cut short his chequered career as batsman and captain. Sad!.

There is a story doing the rounds that Marvan Atapattu was in the 1996 World Cup squad, but did not play a single game, and Sri Lanka went on to carry away the trophy.

Will history repeat itself?

Resignation time

Most teams playing in the World Cup 2007 had foreign coaches contracted up to the end of the series.

First to go, under unfortunate circumstances was Pakistan coach, Bob Woolmer, who it is said had informed the Pakistani authorities of his quitting.

Then came Greg Chappell whose team India could not go beyond the group stage along with Pakistan.

Now two more coaches England's Zimbabwean coach Duncan Fletcher and Ireland's South African coach Adrian Birrell have decided to hang up their coaching boots.

Another coach on the block is West Indies Australian born coach Bennet King. Sri Lanka's Australian coach Tom Moody is still undecided. If Sri Lanka wins the Cup he will probably stay, but on his terms quite rightly.