Many Coaches to Public Spats: Sri Lanka Cricket is Going Down Fast

After being one of the top sides for many years, Sri Lanka seem to have lost their self-belief.

File photo of Angelo Mathews. 

(Photo: AP)

Angelo Mathews stepped down as Sri Lanka’s captain in all three formats after a tough 2-3 ODI series loss against Zimbabwe. The Island nation, who was one of the best in the world, have slipped to seventh, eighth and eighth place in the ICC Test, ODI and T20 rankings respectively.

They have been able to win only two series in 2017, even though they have played against low-ranked teams such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

In 2017, Sri Lanka have lost to Scotland in a practice ODI match and they have suffered defeats in the hands of Bangladesh in a T20, ODI and a Test match.

Lasith Malinga reacts during a Champions Trophy match.(Photo: Reuters)

And it’s not that Sri Lanka have issues only on the field, but they have troubles off it as well.

The officials asked the ground staff at the Hambantota Stadium to remove their branded SLC uniforms before they were given their pay after the fifth ODI against Zimbabwe.

There was also a public spat between Sri Lanka’s prime bowler Lasith Malinga and Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara.

The sports minister said that the Sri Lankan players are overweight, which was one of the reasons behind the team dropping catches in the crucial match against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. Malinga hit back at the minister by calling him a monkey!

What’s wrong with Sri Lanka cricket? Why are they spiraling down at such a fast pace? With Mathews resigning as captain, Sri Lanka’s problems have just begun.

It’s not like they don’t have the skills to be one of the top sides in the world, they convincingly beat India by 7 wickets in the Champions Trophy!

Also Read: Ranatunga Demands Probe Into Sri Lanka’s 2011 World Cup Final Loss

Sri Lanka have had four different captains for ODIs and T20s in the last 5 years.(Photo: Reuters)

Changing Captains

Too many changes in the leadership role for the Islanders has certainly contributed in their downfall. In the period between 2012-17, Sri Lanka have had four different captains in ODIs and four different skippers in T20s.

The captains have been changing mainly because the regular captain during the period, Angelo Mathews, has faced injuries.

Angelo Mathews (98 matches), Dinesh Chandimal (3 matches), Lahiru Thirimanne (3 matches) and Upul Tharanga (14 matches) have been captains in ODIs during 2012-17. While in the T20s, the skippers have been – Angelo Mathews (12 matches), Dinesh Chandimal (22 matches), Lasith Malinga (9 matches), Upul Tharanga (5 matches).

Lasith Malinga, who was struggling with a knee injury in 2016, stepped down as T20 captain ahead of the World T20 in 2016.

Clearly, fitness is a major concern for the Sri Lankans. They need stability in the leadership for all three formats

And for that, the newly appointed captains – Dinesh Chandimal (Tests) and Upul Tharanga (ODIs and T20s) have to ensure that they are setting high standards for their own fitness and the team.

Sri Lanka’s form has been terrible in 2017 to say the least. With big players such as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene well out of the picture, the new crop of Sri Lankan players are not able to believe in themselves to consistently beat the top sides in the world.

They won two T20 series against South Africa and Australia early on in the year, but after February it’s been a downward slide for them.

They drew 1-1 with Bangladesh in Test, ODI and T20 series – it was a full series that they should have clinched pretty easily.

Things got worse, when they lost the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe at home.

Graham Ford (L) and Danushka Gunathilaka during a net session.(Photo: Reuters)

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Crazy Decisions

The Sri Lankan cricket board is a lot to be blamed for the state of the current scenario. Over the years, the board and the players have had bitter pay dispute battles and they have also been very harsh when it came to dealing with the contracts of the head coaches of the team.

We had pay disputes in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and at that point, the administration took an extreme hard-line. In Sri Lanka, it’s always the players who are compromised because we want to play the sport and represent the country, so much so that in 2014, we went to the World T20 saying that we didn’t want any match fees for representing Sri Lanka. We said we won’t sign the contracts, but we will play for free because our job is to represent the country.

Kumar Sangakkara told <a href="http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/95292/kumar-sangakkara-exclusive-interview-spotlight-of-transition-batsmanship-and-a-sri-lankan-throwback">Cricbuzz</a>

Sri Lanka have appointed eight head coaches (including stand-in persons) since 2011 and most of the coaches have left because of issues with the board.

Australian great Geoff Marsh was removed as coach when he was just 4 months (December 2013) into the job. The board was supposedly unhappy with the lack of man-management skills in former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu – eventually he resigned as coach in September 2015.

Graham Ford, who was the coach from 2012-14 was brought back in February 2016. After a poor Champions Trophy, Ford stepped down as the coach of the team.

The Sri Lankan board needs to understand that a coach will need time to mold a good side. Results won’t be on the better side very quickly. They will need to ensure stability in the coaching department, otherwise the players will have too many inputs from different personalities.

Expert’s Speak

You have to challenge yourself and you should be able to play a brand of cricket that Sri Lanka is known for. These players themselves have to now find what their brand of cricket is. Getting this balance right and looking at the future is such a vital thing.

Kumar Sangakkara told <a href="http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/95292/kumar-sangakkara-exclusive-interview-spotlight-of-transition-batsmanship-and-a-sri-lankan-throwback">Cricbuzz</a>

(We all love to express ourselves, but how often do we do it in our mother tongue?  Here's your chance! This Independence Day, khul ke bol with BOL – Love your Bhasha. Sing, write, perform, spew poetry – whatever you like – in your mother tongue. Send us your BOL at [e-mail] or WhatsApp it to 9910181818.)