STOP SANGAKKARA BASHING !
Posted on May 12th, 2010
Ananda De Costa
In India, people used to set fire to homes of cricketers when they fail. Fortunately in our society we never have such tendency among general public because they are learned cultured people. But lately we could see people blaming Sangakkara for various reasons. In early days, true, he behaved badly- but he learned quickly and now is a much better captain. He is a well disciplined man with a good character who is honest in the field. Every captain and every cricketer is human and they make mistakes. We must learn to forgive them but be stern where injustice exists.
Sanath Jayasuriya was drawn into the 50-50 and 20-20 teams based on his good performance in previous IPL, after dropping him due to poor form. In fact this was an excuse only. He applied immense political pressure to get back to Sri Lanka team. That is the past.
The last IPL saw him in terrible form. His team (Mumbai) managed to come to a commanding position and eventually reaching the final only after dropping him. He was given one more chance in a trivial match towards the end and he failed again. So, why are we keeping him and keep on using him for every match ? Are we a worse team than Mumbai Indians ? If the reason for bringing him back was the IPL performance, then that very reason during last IPL season should be enough to show him the door.
Surely, his presence is making serious discontent among the young team members. Even the 20-20 specialist of Wayamba team Jeewantha Kulathunga ( who is probably one of the best 20-20 players) was not given a place. He should have been a much better choice. Dilhara Fernando had a good IPL ( better than even Malinga in the same team) after his selection towards the end of IPL.
Australian team is a very good example of how a good team is constructed. Ricky Ponting ( named player of the decade ) was kept out to give opportunity to better players. Australian team is never built around a captain; instead the captain is selected to lead the team. If the captain is not performing as a batsman or a bowler he will have to go. Noting his talent in 20-20 format, Nannes was invited to represent Australia when he was playing for the Dutch team. Long before hitting the minima in the downward curve, Aussie players usually retire. Adam Gilchrist is another example. He can still play much better cricket than Sanath and he is younger. Why cannot Jayasuriya gracefully retire ? It is not the love of the game but it is the greed and the fame. Such selfish action should be condemned rather than finding faults in SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s captaincy.
Mahela played exceptionally well when he opened batting with anyone but Jayasuriya. As an openerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the first match, Sanath managed just five runs of 14 deliveries. Then, yesterday he scored a big zero after wasting five deliveries. He was sent in to hit sixes during last stages of previous games but he managed to remain not-out by not trying.
His average is 4.66 now. No, it is not the runs scored per over off his bowling. It is the number of runs he scored per inning! He is just marginally better than Malinga in batting. But Malinga does not open batting but he is a mainstream bowler who is of the same caliber as Jayasuria in batting, currently.
Why is Jayasuriya allowed to play in every match ? One can only give the obvious reason; the political power. His presence creates immense pressure onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sangakkara. Match against India was a good example. He was called to bowl and he conceded 12 runs in first over. He was sent to open batting and he scored zero. Against Australia he could not score or even to change sides by taking a run. Jayewardene, Sagakkara and Dilshan were under pressure because of him. They failed and the whole team collapsed.
Did the people in the South elected him to parliament to play cricket? Then he should be stripped of MP position now. If they voted for him to serve the community, then what is he doing in the Carabian ? How could he manage both cricket and politics when he cannot manage his natural game?
As the whole world knows he is a ruling party MP, his continual selection even under his current form is a disgrace to Sri Lanka. This destroys the credibility of our government and Sri Lanka Cricket. Such practice( malpractice ) in Australia would invariably ends up politicians in jail. Although we keep on bashing westerners we should not fail see injustice, corrupt practice and lawlessness in our own backyard which is widely displayed in the big screen!
May 12th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Although your title is “Stop Sangakkara Bashing”, you are “Jayasuriya Bashing” !! Typical Sri Lankan attitude of forgetting the past.
May 13th, 2010 at 4:17 am
Lucky you! If you say this is Sri Lanka you will occupy the next room to Sarath Fonseka on some flimsy charge. Please don’t hurt our King’s feelings. Sarath was nominated to contest in Matara just to boost the UPFA votes and he has done it. Now he is reaping the reward for that. Do you think anybody will be bold enough to drop him from the team – SLC ? Manager? Selectors? Caption. No, No, No. for the love of their life. This old man Sanath has no shame. Once he was the hero of so many fans worldwide. Now he has become a joker. Shame, shame, shame.
Mr. Wickrama, this Sanath behaves in such a way as to make us forget the past. His foolishness does it. He should not use power to stay in the game. None in the history of this beatiful game ever did it. Shame on him.
May 13th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Rishard,
I am sorry , you must be Fonseka’s son in law. Fonseka’s betrayal is incomparable to any other form of betrayal. He is the greediest man on earth.But this is cricket only and a minor offence by any standard. But this is ugly. It does not show any improvement to “Sri Lankan Standards”. It is impossible fight corruption in UN with this type of brave ugliness without shame.
Yes. If we think this as foolishness we can forgive Jayasuriya. But you have to work very hard and become an arahant to forgive Fonseka for what he did and is still doing.
May 13th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I hate to bring politics and the situation SL in in to this argument. I was compelled to bring this. I am an Indian, i was doing some casual browsing and came across your rant. I know i am an outsider, your piece of words in the net is just for Srilankan audience. But i was peeved when you talked about the Indian society. Yes, i agree some portion of the Indian society is very emotional towards their cricketers. Even an educated person like me, living in US for the past 15 years cannot diggest when my team losing like this in the Past two editions of T20.
Sub continent culture is like that, I kow SL culture is not like that.
But Indian culture and Indian mindset is just emotional only in that way. But Indian society is much more appreciative, much more social, much more compassionate, much more flexible societies than many other societies in the region, or even in the world. That is the only reason India is now a thriving economies.
Do you know our Country leader from a minority religion(Our PM is a sikh), when the country has 80% hindus.
Can you imagine that in your country?
Do you know we had cricket captains from Muslim reliigon? (Azar and Pataudi)
Can you make either Murali or Angelo mathews(tamils) as captains?
Do you know we had our president from Muslim religion?(Abdul kalam)
Can you imagine that in your so called Cultured Srilankan society?
I can cite so many things(positive) things about my mother nation.
Sorry again, i cannot comment on your nation. Each and ever nation has positives and negatives. its not the society, its people matters. Just try to look inwards and see what happens in your nation and talk about others.
When you see inwards, you will see a lot of rotten things.
If you chose to reply, please reply to hharish@hotmail.com. I will reply back.
Harish Subramaian
May 13th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Now we have lost the semis thanks to Sanath.
But compared to Fonseka, Sanath is much much better. Blaming it on this and than and comparing it to the Fonseka predicament is just swinely logic. Lets concentrate on the matter of improving cricket, not saving criminals.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
De Costa
Sarath Fonseka has not been CONVICTED yet. Even proper charges have not been filed as of now. Yes, once he is tried and convicted he will bear the SHAME for sure.
But see the case of Sanath Jayasuriya. It is real shame to impose himself in the game with the new political clout he enjoys. It is a tragedy to our Cricket, don’t you see it. He is denying the opportunity to an up and coming younster to make his place.
And after this article was written his shame went a little further higher with his ‘contribution’ that saw us out of the tournament. The team is now frustrated and the younsters have nowhere to go.
And the worst is still to come when the other senior cricketers do the same as Sanath to protect their place in the team.
May 13th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Please see below comments and you will understand what I am talking about:
http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=8140
May 14th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Samson, I agree that bringing the ‘Fonseka factor’ into this discussion does not help. As for Sanath, he simply refuses to accept reality. 15 runs and 1 wicket is all he has to show in this tournament. At the rate these fellows are paid, effectively he must have been paid at the rate of several thousand rupees per run!
May 14th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Dear Mr. Subramaian,
You have already accepted what I said partly. I said “it never happened in Sri Lanka”, which is true and that is our culture we are proud of. But there is no guarantee to remain it like that.
Yes, I agree with all your positives and I love your current prime minister and it is an excellent example of maturity of Indian society even after Indira Gandhi killed by a sikh.
But I am waiting for a Tamil prime minister to come to power in India.
Sri Lanka had 60 years after independence. Out of this 30 years and 100000 lives were lost due to terror organized by India. India also bullied all the surrounding countries. Leave us alone and let us build our country for another 30 years and I am sure we will have Murali’s and Mathews as prime ministers !
May 14th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Dear Harish,
You are wrong.
1. Sri Lanka had a cricket captain from an even samaller minority. His name was Graeme Labroy and he is from the Burger community which is about 1%.
2. Sri Lanka had a Prime Minister from the Christian community which is about 6% of the population.
3. Sri Lanka’s first local army general was a Tamil (Anton Mutukumaru) from the Sri Lankan Tamil community which is only 12% of the population.
4. Sri Lanka’s highest war award (PWV) was won by only 3; one of them a Muslim (Fazly Laphir).
5. Government cheif whip in parliament was from the small Catholic community while the Opposition cheif whip is from the Catholic community too. Ruling party has a Tamil vice president and the main opposition party has a Muslim vice president.
6. Murali was the vice captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team at one point. At the moment, Murali, TM Dilshan, Saraj Randiv, Angelo Matthews originate from the Tamil and Muslim communities. India can NEVER ever match this.
7. Present Sri Lankan Air Force commander is a Catholic. He father was too.
8. Shame on Indian Premier League (IPL) for DELIBERATELY avoiding Pakistani players. Shame! Sri Lanka on the other hand took the risk of travelling to Pakistan when all the others (especially it’s closest neighbour) refused to go there.
9. Sri Lanka awarded all the comforts to the LTTE leader’s mother (Parvati Ammal) when India repeatedly refused her entry. LTTE killed 100,000 people in Sri Lanka but still Sri Lanka had the compassion. LTTE killed only 30 in India but she was stupidly punished for that. Shame on India.
10. All the neighbouring countries of India show intense dislike of India except Sri Lanka. On the other hand Sri Lanka is friendly with ALL its neighbours. A feat India can NEVER EVER match!
Violence when losing is one thing but there is more to it. Don’t forget 150 Tamil Nadu Indians committed suicide (self immolation) at the death of Sri Lankan born MGR.
May 15th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Thank you, Lorenzo for your hard work.
We had the first woman prime minister in the world. Sri Lankans treat and respect women much better than Indians do and even better than most other countries in the world.
I did not mention one important fact. Because of Indian Student’s culture of “staring and stoking” in Australia, local girls (especially the subcontinent looking ones) cannot walk freely in Australia. No other nationality in the world inherits such shameless behaviour. They kill each other and kill children and blame Australians. This is a result of “thriving Indian economy”. (He must have checked GDP of India against Sri Lanka)
May 16th, 2010 at 3:07 am
It really is a pity that Harish Subramaniam should have seen fit to introduce a political dimension into the discussion. What this has done is to both take the discussion away from the point at issue and initiate another inconclusive debate. I do not suppose either India or Sri Lanka can take a holier than thou attitude in respect of the issues that have been canvassed. Both countries have their pluses as well as their minuses.
By the way, Lorenzo, I didn’t know that Sri Lanka ever had a prime minister who was a Christian. I am curious to know his name.
May 16th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Cassandra,
SWRD Bandaranaike was born an Anglican. Ranil Wickramasinghe was also baptised. However, they may have followed religious practices of many religions during their personal life and political life. Due to liberal views on religion among a larger community than in India, most Sri Lankans don’t give too much attention to one’s religion.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Lorenzo,
In my book, SWRD and Ranil cannot be described as Christians because, although born into Christian families, they embraced Buddhism and lived as Buddhists. But, then, I see that you did not say either of them was a Christian, only that ” Sri Lanka had a Prime Minister from the Christian community”. Ah, I see there is a subtle difference between being a Christian and being “from the Christian community”. Well done.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Cassandra,
Thanks. My answer was rigidly framed into the point of discussion only. Kabaragoya Thalagoya.
May 16th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
I thought Sir John was a Catholic
May 17th, 2010 at 1:31 am
to wickrema,
’tis not “Typical Sri Lankan attitude of forgetting the past.”
the fact of the matter is you are in the typical sri lankan attitude of LIVING IN THE PAST, this is exactly why sri lanka can never grow as a nation as long as there are people like you unfortunately too many.
Only thing i agree with you is the title of this article is wrongly worded but it should certainly not sanath bashing as you say itis the writer speaks the absolute truth
so get used to it
May 17th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Nanda, Sir John was a Buddhist.