Sri Lanka cricket on roller coaster as Bangladesh add to their embarrassment

BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE

Rollercoasters don’t come better than Sri Lanka’s current cricket fortunes as they lurch from a high to an unexpected low and then drop into a chasm that is near terrifying as they try to break out from their transitional period sans any superstars in their ranks.

My assertion to the hapless Sri Lankan plight traces back to when they sensationally upset the top ranked Australians a few months ago winning the Test series 3-0 then travelling to Zimbabwe and winning the Test and one-day series before being brought to a shuddering halt by the South Africans who thrashed them in all formats and brought them back to earth.

Returning home from the South African humiliation the Sri Lankans then turned their focus at home on a familiar easy beat, or so they thought in Bangladesh, who until then, had not come within striking distance of a win against them, and with it a chance of re-consolidating their status in the world game. But they reckoned without the sudden upsurge in the Sub-continents newest threat and soon were left red faced and embarrassed as the Bangladeshis produced a fighting brand of cricket that saw them leave the Sri Lankan shores unbeaten and unbowed after a heroic tied series in the Tests and limited forms of the game.

Complacency may have played a part in the Sri Lankan debacle but it cannot take away a molecule of respect and admiration from the visitors who came with a pre-planned strategy and promise that they were there to win, not just compete.

Bangladesh who are coached by Sri Lankan discard Chandika Hathurusinghe, are undoubtedly one of the rising stars of World cricket with a fine blend of all-round talent that is ready to challenge the best in the world. Hathurusinghe’s role is unsung so far but a closer look at Bangladesh’s rise to fame will undoubtedly reveal that they have begun their ascendency after he took over the reins after several unsuccessful overseas coaches.

Discarded as an assistant coach of Sri Lanka several years ago when they toured Australia, Hathurusinghe was forced to pull up stumps in his homeland to pursue his life’s passion as a cricket coach and migrated to Australia where he soon became the focus of attention for his astute methods.  Before too long he was rewarded with the plum job of coaching New South Wales laden with Australia’s elite cricketers. His success in the role soon drew international interest and Bangladesh was quick to grab him and their success soon followed.

Hathurusinghe would have left Sri Lanka with smug satisfaction after proving his detractors wrong and his path since upsetting the land of his birth appears to suggest that it may not be too long before those who sacked him may be forced to swallow their pride and attempt to lure him back to lead Sr Lanka back to a position of respectability.

In fairness to Sri Lanka’s current predicament it must be said that they were depleted without regular skipper Angelo Matthews who is nursing a leg injury and fast men Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad who may have made a difference.

The timely return from injury of tear away speedster Lasith Malinga was indeed a blessing in disguise despite the inability of the home side to thread at least one series win.

But Sri Lanka cricket at present appears to be lurching without direction as the administrators play musical chairs with their players and management in a desperate attempt to find a winning formula. Perhaps it is time for them to stop and take a deep breath before assessing the situation and then moving towards the destination they seek to pursue.