Click here if you want the full details on the competition and how it unfolded over weeks (cuz it was played on a cricket forum with players from USA/Australia/Europe/Asia and sometimes we would have to wait for about a day for a guy from the USA to pick his player when his turn came around)

Below is my complete side after the game was over.
Have a look and see if you can pick a team that would out do this lot.

The Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment XI
John Edrich (1960s)
Herbert Sutcliffe (1930s)
Dennis Compton (1940s)
David Gower (1980s)
Dougie Walters (1970s)
Andy Flower (2000s)
Shane Warne (1990s)
Harbajan Singh (2000s)
Malcom Marshall (1980s)
Fred Trueman (1950s)
Frank Tyson (1950s)

Edirch & Sutcliffe
My openers have 90000 runs between them with 250 hundreds together.These two will bat any bowling attack into submission under any condition.Also note the left hand right hand combination.

Compton at 3
And when the 1st wicket falls at 500 I have one the most gifted batsmen ever to step on to the cricket field coming in at 3. Daring and adventurous, Compton will pumel any attack in to oblivion.When you open with 2 guys who have a 100 100s each to their name its gonnna be hard to top it eh. Not so.

Compton boasts 40000 runs with 123 100s to his name with a test avg of 50.

Oh ye poor bowlers.

Eye-Candy at 4
Other batsmen go in and out of form: Gower always seemed to play the same - beautifully, until the moment he made a mistake. Sometimes, the mistake was put off long enough for him to play an innings of unforgettable brilliance.

My no 4 deals only in elegance. Perfect foil for Compton. While Dennis goes hell for leather Gower will make all you traditonalists jaws drop.Silking his way through the covers to a hundred before you realise what hit you.

Lil Dougie at 5
Doug Walters holds a somewhat mythical place in Australian cricket. Small, cheeky, popular and multi-skilled, he would drink all night without getting drunk then wipe sleep from his eyes to make a shot-laden century or take a crucial wicket or stunning catch - sometimes, in folklore at least, on the same day.

At 1500-3 on day 2 there isnt much left to do

. So Ill send in Dougie to make merry while sporting a hangover,drinkin too much beer watching his top 4 beat the lights out of the opposition bowling. Since he probably wouldnt get to bat too many times in this line up, Ill put him in charge of making sure the dressing room freezer is well stocked.

Mr Zimbabwe
Has there ever been 1 cricketer who has carried an entire country on his shoulders for so long and kept a more remarkable record than the older Flower brother. Flower power is what he was known as. And when he was scoring all those runs, and those memorable hundreds in India, through out the 2000s I was wonderin what flower he was smoking. Some will argue his keeping is not up to the scratch but when you see flower bat or do anything on the cricket field, you get the feeling he will find away to do wht is necessary.

Will his batting suffer due to keeping for two long. When you realise whose bowling in my team you wont ask me that again.

“Holly-Wood” Warney
If you can name it then Shane Warnes probably done it twice over.
Ball of the century,wickets,shoulder injuries,finger operations,Zooters,Sliders,Sex,Drugs this guys life was a soap opera from start to finish. But nothing outside cricket ever affected what he did on the field.Mastery of legspin,out thinking batsmen at everyturn, Warne was the greatest leg spinner the world has ever seen, if not the greatest bowler of all time. With accolades such as a cricketer of the century warne is sure to spin webs around any batting line up.

Bowled, Shane.

“Tubanator” Singh

India’s most successful offspin bowler. Bowling with a windmilling, whiplash action,he exercises great command over the ball, has the ability to vary his length and pace, and can turn it the other way too.

A hatrick against the modern Aussie Line up, the 1st by an Indian,and 32 wickets in a 3 test series against them speaks for it self. Perfect spin partner for Warne from the other end.

46,49,45 & 20,21,18
Batsmen feel free to memorise these figures because every 46th or 49th or 45th delivery or every 20,21,18th run a wicket is gonna fall when my quicks are in operation. Trueman and Marshall will open while Tyson will operate in short bursts. This pace attacks reeks of pace and malice and genuine fear. When you bat against these 3 a batsmans very life is in danger.
Good luck all you openers.
==================================================================================================

Note that my top 6 all will share left hand right hand batting combinations. This will add more to the bowlers headaches when the score board read 2500-3.

2 All rounders in Walters and Flower, Off and Leg Spin options with 3 of the greatest fast men to bowl in cricket cap off my team

The Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment XI will be captained by, you guessed it, Warne.

The greatest captain Australia never had will only have to make a handful of decisions when leading this team. But dont expect anything other than attack with Warne as captain.

Can anyone say Blitzkrieg ?

Thank you Murali,from All of us.

What else can you say about Muttiah that hasn’t already been said. Everyone was busy typing up columns and articles for their respective bosses when he over took Shane Warne as the most successful bowler in the history of the game.

But in my opinion those articles cannot be compared to what us fans have been treated to by Murali over the years. So its fitting that this post is all about us- the fans, and we have to say about the man.

Here is what Muralis fans had to say about their favorite Murali Moment(s)

“Everytime he hits a six (his) arms and legs goes everywhere and somehow the ball manages to clear the rope - and usually he has fallen on his backside attempting the shot”
-Lee Barnes from Australia

“Murali’s just an absolute champ on and off the field, with his philanthropy and he’s cool with explaining the tricks of his trade to the opposition (watch that Ch9 masterclass).

Ok lets see. Definitely that one off test in England. Fav moment cos back then people didnt really rate Murali as they do now. Little Murali came and just blew england away

And dont forget Murali’s batting. Specially the first time I saw Murali hit boundary with his trademark pull away hook shot.”
-Karolaya from Australia

“Murali unusual pull shot, you can call it a hook too, lol in that test series against England he fell down after playing it I think”
-Keshan from Sri Lanka

“In the 2003 WC when SL played WI, WI were cruising to their target with crazy Sarwan batting in spite of getting injured. Then, Murali got Powell bowled and he couldn’t believe it. he was so stunned that his eyes almost popped out! I dunno why i remember this moment so much…”
-Thushal from California

“One of my favourite moments was when he got together with Vaas and took apart Mcgrath, Shane warne, Gillespie and kasprovicz in a last wicket stand of 90 odd. Australia scored a 120 in the first and we managed 220 thanks to Vaasy and Murali and guess what? We still lost. This was in 2004 when they came over here and Tillekaratne was the skipper..Dark times for SL then..Dark times..”
-Aman Harees from Sri Lanka

“Getting 7/30 against India in Sharjah. India were all out for 49″
-$@!3311 from Sri Lanka

“His performance in Eng in 2006 sticks out massively for me!
Great performance to save the test there!
Watched all of it without missing anything and even better as it was with Eng fans!”
-Rudeboy from England

“One of my other favourite moments was when he got 4 for 9 against Pakistan…We defended a really shite total and done well, cheers to him..”
-Aman Harees from Sri Lanka, comes back for more!

“His effort in the Oval to rip the poms up made me quite happy”
-Laurence from Australia

“Whenever he’s criticised the SL govt (alot of times), and his work in the aftermath of the Tsunami.”
-Sanjane from Australia

“I will never forget that delivery he produced to get rid of Dhoni in our WC 07 group game against India. In the earlier month when we toured India, they won the series very comprehensively and Dhoni was the wrecker in chief. So obviously he was the danger man for us. But it didn’t take long for Murali to produce that delivery which struck him on his pads and Dhoni looked as plumb as gone. Infact he even started walking even before the umpire gave it out. That was PRICELESS!!!”
-Kanishka from Sri Lanka

“His batting bcoz you will always get your money’s worth “
-Pro Lion from Australia

“When we lost to India in 2005 6-1 and then lost again in India 3-1, the Indians were all over us and cockahoop. But once it got the real business in the WC I was pumped up for the ultimate revenge mission. 2 balls from Murali changed the game. One to Dravid and the very next ball to Dhoni sealed the deal and we sent the Indians packing. Revenge was never sweeter!!!”
-Damith from Sri Lanka

“Murali ’s 50, 2007 World Cup Dhoni dissmissal !!!!”
Mad-Police from New Zealand

“The Cobra Ball, First Ball MS DHONI LBW B Muralidaran 0 India 110-6″
-NSK from Sri Lanka.

“There you go! My fav Murali moment!”


-Romesh from Italy

“I’m from St. Anthony’s as well, and I was in Grade 5 when Murali played for the First XI team in his last year.
It was the Limited Overs game against Trinity.
Here is the match scorecard:

1991 - 12th Encounter - Katugastota

Captain - T C K - S. Gunathilake
S A C K - N. Kalpage

Scores - SACK - 164-9 in 42 overs
(A. Ekanayake 4-42)
TCK - 165-9 in 41.2 overs
(A. Ekanayake 58)

TCK won by 01 wicket.

Murali was fielding in the outfield in those last few overs. We were near him behind the ropes and talking to him. Even then he was our hero!
So the things weren’t good for us and we asked him:
“Murali ayya, we’re going to win, right?”
And he goes, “Not sure malli, our batsmen didn’t get enough runs ne… I think they will win”!!!
And we were sooooooooooo disappointed, but as he predicted, Trinity won - though it must be said that one our slip fielders (yes, a slip in the 40th over) dropped a catch!
Wink

That is one of my earliest memories of this legend Murali, and even then he hated batsmen not getting enough runs!”

Sachintha from Sri Lanka

I guess what we are all trying to say is, Thank You Murali for all the great moments in your career. And we all wish the best in getting the 1000th wicket that you richly deserve.

Feel free to post your favorite Moments in the comments section!

And so, its been 25 years of test cricket for the Island nation. There have been many ups and downs in our short history in the game and currently Sri Lankan cricket is at its strongest. 106 players have pulled on our national colours and they have done a great service to our cricket in their own way.

I found this an opportune time to put my self in the shoes of the “Joker” and try some “Muppet Mastering” my self. My quest was to come up with the All time Sri Lankan Test XI. NO easy task but luckily I did have my trusty handbook, provided by SLC, to make my decisions easier.

SO without further adieu here is the team.

All Time Sri Lankan Test XI

1.Marvan Attapattu
2.Sanath Jayasuriya
3.Kumar Sanagakarra (+)
4.Aravinda de Silva
5.Mahela Jayawardane (C)
6.Roshan Mahanama
7.Chaminda Vass
8.Ravi Ratnayake
9.Nuwan Zoysa
10.Lasith Malinga
11.Murali

Opening
Marvi and Sana-

The third most successful opening pair in the HISTORY of the game, this was the easiest decision to make.One a dasher, the other,one of the most technically correct batsmen to come out of Sri Lanka. Also note the left and right hand combination.

Top Order
Kumar Sangakkara-
The pretender to the throne of “The best batsmen Sri Lanka has produced”, Sangakkara has been in blistering form of late and currently has the highest batting avg for any batsmen from the country. A shoe-in to the all time team.

Aravinda de Silva-

Who better to follow the pretender to the throne than the uncontested king of Sri Lankan batting, MR De Silva himself. He is a match winner on his own. 20 test centuries of the highest order. Its not hard being a “Joker” after all !

Mahela Jayawardena-

There were a couple of other contenders for the No 5 spot. Arjuna, Gurusingha being the main candidates. Mahela got my vote as he has shown he is arguably the best captain Sri Lanka has produced and is a terrific test batsmen. With a triple century to his name as well, MJ will bat at 5 and captain the team.

Roshan Mahanama-

The current Sri Lankan team could well be wishing this man dint retire. He is a captains dream to bat at 6. Highly aggressive with lots of class Roshan is the ideal No6 batsmen for the All Time SL XI.

All Rounders
Chaminda Vass-

Vass is the most successful fast bowler the country has produced, so another shoe-in. With a test century to his name and with over 2000 test runs under his belt he is a genuine all-rounder.

Ravi Ratnayake-

Heres one from the vault. A genuine all-rounder in his own right,Ravi developed his game on the international stage that he even opened the batting for SL at a point. His BBI of 8-83 remained the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan till a certain man from Kandy over took him. Avg 25 with the bat ant 35 with the ball he will be my first Change bowler.

Bowlers
Nuwan Soyza-

This might be a surprise inclusion to a few but I strongly believe that he was one of the best quicks SL has had. Sadly his career has been marred by a lot of injuries, but was something else when in full flow. He could even be a replacement for Vass when he retires in a years time as he has not even reached 30. Swing/Pace/Bounce- Soyza has it all.

Lasith Malinga-

He has been a sensation ever since he joined the team. With his unorthodox action he has fooled many a batsmen. Malinga has genuine pace and swing when in full flow and is arguably the fastest bowler the country has produced. MJ will do well to use in him short spells to make maximum use of “Slinga”

Murali-

I dont think his name needs any justification. The greatest bowler in the history of the game. Enough said.

This side is well balanced with 6 top class batsmen backed up by 2 very good all rounders. Although even Soyza can chip in with the odd run or two. Murali has a test 50 as well!

The bowling is safe in the hands of Vass, Ravi, Soyza, Malinga and Murali. Possibly the best bowling attack ever assembled from Sri Lanka.

It has a great blend of experience backed up by youth. Captained by Mahela this team would easily give a hiding to any team that confronts them

So that as they say is it. This is IMO the best ALL time Sri Lankan Test XI.

Do you agree? Let me know your views on the team in the comments section.

Reading what the umpire needs
So it’s important to know what motivates an umpire to take up the role in the first place. Many umpires who have been offered the role to umpire in the elite panel have declined- eg: Peter Willey. Why? Because many do not want the demanding traveling, the public slandering of their name and the constant heckling.

Regardless of whether Darrel Hair was right or wrong in the decisions he has made- how can an upcoming umpire feel that the working environment is a safe one when looking at how hair was treated by the ICC?

Everyone expects an impossible perfection from these men who, it seems, does an unforgiving job for peanuts. Hence its not too far fetched to believe the lack of quality umpires in today’s game is due to the unattractive nature of the job it self. Once respected and held of high esteem, umpires have been reduced to escape-goats and ridiculed the world over.

Umpiring Standards
When the men in white coats make makes mistakes, what happens? Usually nothing.

Today’s umpiring “standards” are lacking an essential quality-Standards. Umpire popularity seems to be an all time low in the modern game. They are endlessly scrutinized and criticized over the decisions they make. Unsurprisingly, the ICC seems to be the root cause behind this problem as well.

When the cricket boards around the world were screaming in unison for neutral umpires to be officiating in test matches the ICC hurriedly got the “Elite Panel” together. And promptly took the credit for a “reform” in the way test matches were umpired.

The current panel includes

# Aleem Dar (39 years)
# Asad Rauf (51 years)
# Mark Benson (49 years)
# Brent Bowden (44 years)
# Steve Bucknor (61 years)
# Billy Doctrove (52 years)
# Darrell Hair-Banned from officiating in ICC sanctioned matches.
# Daryl Harper (56 years)
# Rudi Koertzen (58 years)
# Simon Taufe (36 years)

Draw your attention to the ages of these elite umpires. Some are way past their retirement age in most countries.

Is it too much of a hypothesis to believe that umpiring performances will degrade as the years roll on? It is definitely the case with players. A batsmen’s reaction time becomes slower. A bowlers pace drops. Fielding becomes increasingly difficult. Most players are lucky if they get to around the avg retirement age of 36-38. In fact it’s become an increasing trend around the world that cricket boards will target these 35+ players and look for younger replacements.

Umpires should be treated the same.

Retirement age for umpires ?
A system where umpires are only allowed to umpire up to a certain age would rectify this. Looking at the past 2 years the mistakes made appear to be by the umpires putting on in age. Namely Rudi and Bucknor. Could anyone really blame them if the age is one of the factors that has led to some of the decisions being made?

My proposal is that the umpires should retire at age 50.

And utilize the Emirates International Panel of Umpires to groom upcoming umpires and to promote them when a certain umpire is nearing the age of 50

The composition of the elite panel is reviewed every year and a new panel is announced every 1st of April (Funny they should pick that date huh?). This is definitely a good move but the ICC must be strict on their policy. The performance of Rudi Koertzen and Steve Bucknor does not warrant their inclusion in the panel over the years, at least not in the last two.

Venkat and Shepperd: Great umpires in their prime

David Sheperd retired when he was 65. A great umpire in his “youth” but cracks were definitely appearing in the latter part of his career. Venkat retired at 59 and although he was much respected, he also fell away in the latter part of his career.

So, an umpires careerneed to be handled by the ICC just like a player career is handled/managed by the respective boards. There are great umpires out there and the ICC must be pro-active in bringing these umpires to the biggest stage in cricket. They must also create an environment where an individual would want to take up umpiring- pay/ support/ training will all play a part in this.

Let’s face it; Umpiring is not the most fanciful job in the world. They are not in it to make a bundle and call it quits when their pockets are full. What every umpire strives for, or should be striving for, is to gain the respect of the players for their integrity and their decision making capabilities.

If the ICC is able to provide what an umpire needs from the beginning of their careers and manage their careers once they make it to the elite panel the standards will definitely improve. If technology will help improve their standards then let’s see how we can implement it. If more money is needed to entice more ex-players and FC umpires to take up and and continue umpiring in the highest level then let’s spend it.

By supporting the tangible and intangible needs of the umpire from beginning to end we can ensure the qualities of the umpires are improved which eventually leads to better decisions being made in the matches.

England came to Kandy knowing that they had to get something out of the 1st test if they were to stand a chance of winning this series. Visiting teams do unusually well in the former hill capital but order was restored and normal service resumed as Sri Lanka romped home for a 88 run victory.

This is a look back at the Top 5 Points to Ponder(a series I hope to continue for all future Sri Lankan test matches)

To Bee(s) or not to Bee(s)
“Hit the Deck !!”

Rain,Snow,Sandstorms, even the suns been guilty at one point or the other in stopping the odd game or two but Bees? Thats as rare as they come. They came with fury and offered much wanted respite for the England bowlers and fielders, during yet another one of Sangakkaras 150+ scores. But no Englishmen looked quite as shocked as dear old Monty who seemed to have wet himself at one point. Oh Bee-have baby Bee-have!

Agent J
“Shaken not stirred”

When the going gets tough Agent J appears it seems. Its been noted by few fans that Mahela Jayawardene seems to play with his collar when the game becomes a tad bit iffy. He monkeys around with it and ends up looking like a secret agent from the 70s. Add on some shades and he could be the next 007. Its J, Agent J.

Blind leading the Blind
“MV was not a happy camper”

When Rudi Koertzen was called up to officiate in India instead of the Eng v SL series no one objected due to some obvious reasons. Rudi was replaced by Dar and he and his fellow countrymen, Assad Rauf, promptly set about making some dubious decisions that would have made Rudi look acceptable. No less than 4 howlers were made by two umps from the “elite” panel and the last of the lot, against Sidebottom, was the worst of all and England would be well justified in thinking that it may have cost them the test.

Muttiah IdontknowwhatImBowling-Daran
“Which way is it going to turn !?!?”

This was always going to be a historic test with Murali in the running to become the most successful bowler in the history of the game. And we imagined that it would be the most perfect of balls that would take him past Warne, and so it was. A beaut from around the wicket, pitched and went away and Collingwood was made to look like a grade cricketer. But when asked about the ball Murali surprisingly added “I tried to spin the ball one way and it went the other way”.If he doesnt know what hope do England have ?

Fantastic 4 (mins)
that Alistair Cook spent at the wicket. Im Sri Lankan so Im biased. It was quite fantastic for me because I had worried that Cook might be a hard man to dismiss on our wickets. Especially since he had done so well in India on his first tour and since Murali generally struggles(if you may call it that) against Left Handers. But Cook spent only 4 mins at the crease getting a duck and 4 and ensured that Vass would have his fun on his 100th test.

“Times up”

Do you have anymore points you are pondering about ? Do tell in the comments section.

Since then Vaas has stacked up some staggering records next to his name

-In 2001-02 he took 26 wickets in a 3-0 rout of West Indies, becoming only the second fast bowler, after Imran Khan, to take 14 wickets in a match in the subcontinent.*-He went on to take the first-ever ODI eight-for, against Zimbabwe,which included a hat-trick.*

-He also claimed a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup.*

But time as it seems time waits for no one, and it seems almost inevitable that the tight grip Vaas had in his bowling and his potency would slowly disintegrate.

Since 1st Aug 2005 he has not taken a 5fer. His best match figures have been 5/82. His average has shot up to 35 from his usual 28-29s. And the most telling figure is that his strike rate has taken a quantum leap to 71.6.

In 2006 he averaged a disappointing 45 with 12 wickets in 6 tests with an alarmingly high strike rate of 91.

Is Vass on his way out ?

Currently in 2007 he averages his normal 29 but as always the stats dont tell the whole story because 6 of the 7 wickets he has taken this year in the 3 matches he has played have been against Bangladesh,wickets may still be wickets but Bangladesh,with all due respect to them, are not the toughest opponents going around.

In the recent tour to Australia it was revealed that it was toss up between Vaas and Malinga on who would play in the first test. Vaas got the nod, probably due to seniority, and was eventually dumped for the 2nd test.
Incidentally it would have been his 100th test had he played.

Dropping Vaas would have been unheard of a few years earlier, indeed it would have been a criminal offense to even suggest it.

But with the emergence of Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Farfeez Maharoof and others it seems Vaas’s role is under-threat. The ever-realiable mans bowling is not what it used to be and his pace has dropped too much to be of any threat. With the reduction in pace his most dangerous weapon, the ability to swing the ball both ways, is nullified because the batsmen has that extra bit of time to adjust.

Is it the end of the road for the legendary warrior?

With Sanath Jayasuriya retiring soon from test cricket, Vaas might be entertaining similar thoughts. His next test will be his 100th and although he has expressed his desire to continue on for a few more years and possibly till the 2011 WC, he will need to prove to the selectors and, more importantly, to himself that he can still contribute to the teams fortunes and lead the young attack to a higher level before he hangs up his boots.

With England struggling against a decent Board XIs pace attack, Vaas must look to the test series as a prime opportunity to notch up that 5fer that has eluded him for so long. But if he were to struggle against the poms and have a lackluster performance it might well be time to start thinking about retiring and giving a youngster the chance.

*All stats and data gathered from Cricinfo.

Basically how does a selector (or one who wants to be one-although we are not sure why you’d want to) go about their job.

So to help our budding selector wanna-be’s we have come up with the essential hand book for a Sri Lankan selector.

1.Before applying for the job, make sure you are someone with absolutely no cricket background. In the unfortunate event of you having some cricketing knowledge and know how-lie about it, or at the very worst make sure it’s at a very minimum.

If you are currently playing cricket-quit now if you want to pursue being a selector

2.It is essential that you know the political situation in Sri Lanka and especially important is knowledge on who is on whose payroll (Without this you are basically a batsmen with out a bat.).

3.Know your Player stats- No, not the runs or wickets he has taken- rather their family name i.e. who are their fathers (or mothers) and what sort of power do they have in Sri Lankan politics and how deep are their pockets.

Where was the player born- USA/UK take priority over anyone born in Sri Lanka.

4.Know your geography- Sri Lankan geography that is. Its well established fact that players from outside of Colombo are basically useless. So any players doing well in the outstations should not even get a look in until they move to Colombo and are capable of indulging in the much higher living expenses in the capital.

If you are not aware that clubs exist outside Colombo this will be seen favorably

5.Homesickness unwelcome- If you are the sort to get homesick do not consider applying. As a selector you will be required to travel extensively around the world. What you do once you reach the touring country is your business but the board will make sure you are given enough cash to go shopping and pick up that saree or two for the wife back home.

Sometimes you will be required to actually attend tour matches but these inconveniences are rare.

6.Know your enemy- Although as a cricket selector you might naturally expect to have a carefree life it’s not always rosy. There are many people who will question your every move and every player you drop. Usually these enemies or nemesis comes in 3 forms

-The sports minister: He is the only one who has more power than a selector when picking a team. Don’t be surprised if the good minister goes behind your back to bring back a player you have dropped. But thankfully these occasions are few and far between.-Arjuna Ranatunga: Arjuna is a bit of a wild-card. There is absolutely no logic in the way this man behaves, which eventually means there is no knowing when he may or may not attack a selector using the media and his political influences. He will usually always doubt the system that you have set in place and will almost always doubt the player you pick. Be strong when this happens because Arjuna usually looses stamina due to his over grown belly

Disgruntled ex-Players: These guys are the real cry babies. When you drop them they will use the media to attack selectors and call them names. Disgruntled Ex-players and the sports ministers have a unique bond that can never be broken, so don’t be caught off guard if they tag team you from the blind side. E.g. include: Marvan Atappatu, Upul Chandana,Roshan Mahanama

7.Practice makes perfect: When you pick a certain player and he fails consistently over a period of time don’t be disheartened. Keep picking him till he gets those once in a blue moon 50s regardless of other more consistent players.

Tip: One 50 is more than enough to secure a place of said player(s) for the next tours.

8.Talent Spotting: You will be required to know how to spot talent from the youngsters coming through the system. Pls do keep in mind that Pts 2, 3, 4 are essential when even considering a young player for selection. Failure to meet any of the said 3 pts means an automatic disqualification of the player.

Players who average 20s (Batting) and high 30s (bowling) are generally considered good international material. If a certain youngster is averaging better than this, an immediate compliance check of pts 2-4 is necessary.

Otherwise do not hesitate in picking a player with a lower average over a player who is considered good by the rest of the country.

Note: Pt 6 may (or may not) play a part in talent spotting. The enemies mentioned in pt 6 may try to distort your vision of who you think is a good player. Usually they will engage in media warfare using out-dated reasoning like comparing player averages/consistency and “form”.

9.Drop that Superstar: A time will come in your career when you need to drop a superstar player. Regardless of how much the team needs him or his record or his status and his importance to the team do not hesitate in dropping at least one superstar in your career.

Usually this decision will be reversed by the Sports minister (Refer pt 6).But that is of no concern as you will be guaranteed a “cult-following”, especially from the ever growing online Sri Lankan cricket community.

10.Chairman’s word is Final: It is your responsibility to obey the instructions of the chairman or else your work permit will be terminated and no longer receive further wages.

Do exactly as the chairman orders.

Eg: If there is a fire in the SLC building and the chairman orders you not to leave the building, do not leave the building!

Usually the chairman will handle the media so PR expertise is not a pre-requisite. Also more often than not nobody will even know who you are unless someone from Pt 6 mentions your name in the media (usually Arjuna or Disgruntled player) or unless you carry out pt 9- in which case you will become The Superstar.

Special thanks to Thushal for his contributions

Currently Hussey avgs a stunning 86.18 after nearly 20 tests. Second only to “the great man”.
He has stacked up 7 hundreds and 8 fifties in his 29 digs so far. But his true virtuoso performances came against England and now Sri Lanka. Many believe Australia’s 05 Ashes loss to England was mainly due to Hussey not being in the team. They have a lot to back up their case- in the 5 Ashes tests in 06 Hussey avgs a mind blowing 91.

But has his formidable success really been a surprise to anyone who has followed his career at WA and then at Durham, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire?

Husseys career stats

Hussey had to trudge through 11 years and 15,313 first-class runs before he got his Australian call-up. That is reflection on the quality of his spirit and his unerring determination and his patience, 3 qualities that shine every time he takes guard.

In England, Hussey holds legendary status in all the 3 counties he played for. At Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Durham he set record after record, while the locals at the county grounds were bewildered as to why he was not picked for Australia (While secretly hoping Hussey would apply for British Citizenship). He is the only man after Walter Hammond and Graeme Hick to have scored 3 triple-hundreds in the county championship.

In Australia, he followed a long line of hard-core opening batsmen at WA, following in the footsteps of his more illustrious team mate Justin Langer. Although surprisingly less prolific in his home turf,Hussey still raked in the runs year after year, while maintaining a more than impressive average of 42 with 17 centuries.

When he finally got the call up to the Australian team after the 05 Ashes loss he dint waste much time in hitting his straps. Although he had a less than brilliant start to his test career, scoring 1 run, he has since managed to score a 100 against every team he has played against (WI, SA, BD, Eng, and SL). And has never been in a loosing Australian side.

Hussey talks such a good game with all his experience that he is known as “Mr. Cricket”- A testament to his dedication to the game and his determination to simply be the best that he can be. He is a man who knows that things don’t come easy in a powerful Australian domestic system. He also knows that hard work is the key to success. All these characteristics are easy to see when he is drafting yet another test 100 these days.

So the question is has there ever been another cricketer who has taken to test cricket with so much ease?

Well there was one, and we all know who that is.

So in essence Hussey is a cricketing anomaly in a world where batsmen’s techniques are put under the microscope before every tour, where the order of the day is go crash bang he adopts a style or slow-and-steady wins the race.

Hussey has made “old-school” batting a fashionable again. While his other team mates adopts a more buccaneer approach Hussey is quite happy to adopt a dogged style and pick his runs when available.

Hussey has been such a huge influence in the team that Ricky Ponting is often in consultation with him when the going gets tough. He is viewed as the guy who will get Australia out of trouble (if ever they get into trouble that is) day in day out. The seniors as well the juniors look to him to guide Australia to safety in the middle of a test innings.

For someone who has just played 18 tests that’s a big ask, not to mention a lot of pressure.
But The Huss has gone about his business just as he always has.

A run at a time.

Trend Setter?

All that set aside- there is another phenomenon that is taking place in cricket ever since Hussey made his debut.

Ever since Hussey made his debut in 2005 and had all his success other cricket nations have followed suit in calling up aging warriors from the domestic set ups.

Here is the list

Australia- Hussey(30), S.Clarke(31),B.Hodge(30), Symonds(29)
Sri Lanka-C.Silva(27)
England-Sidebottom(29)
Pakistan-Misbah Ul-Haq(33)
SA-Harris(29),Langeveldt(31)
WI-I.Bradshaw(31)

Infact 3 of Australias last 6 test caps have been over the age of 30. Thats 50%

Perhaps teams are realizing that “old is gold”.

Or perhaps, and more likely, they are also hoping to unearth their own Mike Hussey.

Thank you to Pro Lion of slcricket.com for Husseys stats.

Similar uttering were heard from the Lankans when they recently toured Australia

“We are not afraid of the short ball”, “We are here to win”, “We are not push overs”, “I want to bowl faster” were some of the flurry of chatter coming from the willow wielders and leather trundlers from the emerald isle. Unfortunately maybe Mahela and his men dint get to the part where Churchill and his troops fought back in WWII and backed up their chat. Something that was sadly lacking from Sri Lankans.

So what really went wrong ?
Simple.

Alien-Abduction and Demonic Possession

Apart from being the “noisiest” Sri Lankan team to tour, some of the decisions made by us were mind-boggling that even psycho-killer “Jigsaw” from the cult thriller movie SAW would be impressed.

The decision to bowl first in the 1st test and then not include possibly the most dangerous quick to roll his arm over since Romesh Ratnayake was left out. Yet the captain spoke of expecting the ball to swing and Ponting claimed the pitch would be “interesting”. Apparently none of these views made any dent in the decision making process to leave out Lasith Malinga.

Its clear that Mahela was indeed possessed by the devil when he made this decision. I suspect he was “taken over” during the flight over to Brisbane

Where was the captain who made all the right calls in the WC ?

The lad who wanted to bowl “faster” never reached the 150s he hit during the last tour to NZ. Maybe he is pre-occupied with his hair colour that he has forgotten to hurl them at good pace. Indeed, where has Malingas pace gone since the WC ? Clearly he has been abducted by aliens since his 4 in 4 jolt against the Saffers in the West Indies and been brain-washed by them or “someone” to thinking he should send it down at micky mouse pace.

Meanwhile Fernando claimed he will deliver the Aussie batsmen “something special”. At least he lived up to his word.
3 wickets for 314 runs at 104 is clearly something special very very special.And Im sure the Australians thought so as well.

What made the normally unassuming-quiet quick suddenly come to Australia of all places and let out a bit of steam ? Demonic Possession ??

Sadly the talent that Tom Moody unearthed in Chamara Silva seems to be going to waste as no one seems to talking to him(Probably too busy delivering something really special to the media like Marvan did.) about how to bat according to the situation of the game. Silva to me seems like he’s had too many red-bulls and injected himself with an overdose of caffeen prior to taking guard. What else would explain his nervous running at the start of his innings ,which is fast becoming his signature move(and as a batsmen thats not really what you want to be remembered for).

The 40s he got in the first innings needed to be converted. Twice he got out just before a break, twice he threw away a hard fought start. Talent is good to have. But temprement is something Chamara lacks. Bayliss and the seniors needs to talk to him more instead of looking for the reporters to have a chat with.

Aging Warrior Sanath claimed “its the best time in his career” prior to the series.
94 runs in 4 innings at 23 suggest otherwise. (Those bloody demons at it again!)

Poor shot selections got him out in 3 of those innings and the 45 he made in the last innings of the 2nd test needed to be converted if we were to have any chance. Yet he played, for the umpteenth time, at a wide one. At the rest is history.

Sadly the master batsmens time seems to be up. At least in the longer version of the game

Mahelas back foot moves slower than a granny crossing the road with a walker. His technique was found wanting in the first test and will be again if he does not sort it out soon. This is a minor glitch for a batsmen of his class but one that needs to be eradicated if he wants to score more runs outside of the SSC and the Premadasa.

Was Alien Abduction induced brainwashing also the reason for taking Tilan Samaraweera on tour as well ? What a haplessly boring move. Any tuk tuk driver back home would have given a long list of players that could have toured in his place instead.

Another spot of Demonic Possession perhaps!

Perhaps the biggest exorcism that needs to be done is on Marvan Attapattu. His usual calm-quiet demeanor transformed it self to a chatter box extraordinaire after the first test had completed.

“Muppets?? Jokers??” are these really the words of Marvi ?? I think not !
But all is well that ends well and the Lankans would do well to talk to none other than their own Kumar Sangakkara in an abject lesson on backing up your talk.

The man faced 3 balls before tearing his hamstring, missed the 2nd warm up game + 1st test and spent 90% of his “rehabilitation” time writing articles to cricinfo, then turned up for the 2nd test scratched around for 57 and then got out when looking good. No such luck for the Aussies in the 2nd dig as he proceeded to manufacture one of the greatest knocks ever to have been played in Australia. “Sanga” appeared to be taking Sri Lanka straight into the history books before “Quick-Draw-Rudi” ended his sublime 192 in the cruelest of fashions.

But for the rest of the possessed and abducted Lankans it was a lesson to be learnt. If you are going to talk the talk then you should be able to walk the walk (even if you are possessed at the time !).

Next up “THE POMS” -easy pickings for a strong Sri Lankan side.

But gentleman- less chat and more action please !

Watching the Bangladeshi’s play it was evident they were lacking the level cool head an experienced campaigner would bring to the table. In Sri Lanka’s early days the likes of De Silva, Gurusingha, Mahanama, Tillekeratne and Ranatunga all played vital roles to avoid such embarrassment. Experience aside patience is a virtue they say. The day the Bangladeshi’s learn the value of patience is the day their batting will click, with defendable totals their bowling will click as a result of this dominoe effect more and more losses can be converted to face saving draws. Patience is something a batting coach or mentor cannot pass on, teach or train. It is something that requires determination, the determination and the drive to do well for your country, your motherland. Every time you hear any of the Sri lankan players being interviewed “i want to do well for my country” is something you almost always hear and they mean it. Such determination to succeed is remarkable signs of a truly professional outfit. Clearly evident for all to witness if you look at Australia, the number 1 cricket team.

It appears to me that Dav Whatmore played a very crucial role behind the scenes. He orchestrated and instructed; the players responded. He commanded that respect from the Bangladeshis.

For Sri Lanka another clean sweep, heaps of wickets, heaps of runs. Is victory still sweet when it comes this easy? I think not. In fact i think it does more harm than good. Such tours put player’s into complacent mind frames and sets false assurances in their minds. They “drop” their game play subconsciously and no longer continue to play their “A Game”. Playing weaker opposition can do that. This is the last thing the Lions need ahead of their tour to Australia. It’s better to win and loose tight games that are fiercely competitive than just rack up meaningless victories against team like Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka were minnows in world cricket not too long ago. We suffered at the hands of more established test nations during our initial stages as well but we gave one hell of a fight, that fighting spirit and positive brand of cricket is what brought us here. Bangladesh just need to find their way of playing the game and stick to it. Cricketers sometimes need to be reminded that they are paid employees and need to do their jobs.