da esoccer bet： Sri Lanka can be proud of their performance.
FanZone Editor03-Aug-2005 When Thilan Samaraweera was succoured into a cover drive off a floated legbreak from Danish Kaneria and caught at slip, a momentary lapse that ended along and determined resistance, it precipitated a sudden rush of anger, notwith Samaraweera for he had batted bravely, but with Asantha de Mel, SriLanka’s chief selector.De Mel’s decision to discard Tillakaratne Dilshan from the Test team, notbecause of an alarming slump in form but because he had become “frustrated”by the team management’s apparent reluctance to blood new players, turnedout to be of crucial significance.There can no doubt that Jehan Mubarak has talent. He also has displayed gutsin the past, most notably against South Africa at Centurion in 2002 when hewas thrown into the deep end and scored a gritty 48, but this was not thetime to throw him back into the fire. His time should have come naturally,against weaker opposition or after injury to one of the top six.His case for immediate inclusion was hardly overwhelming: a first-classaverage of 29.04 and one century in 92 visits to the crease. Statistics canbe misleading – Kumar Sangakkara’s first ever first class century was in aTest match – but there was simply no need, or indeed point, in thrustingMubarak into the limelight at the expense of Dilshan, a player who hadseemingly just cemented his place.Mubarak was put under intense pressure. Deep down he would have known in hisheart that his team-mates, although they may have tried to make him feelwelcome, were surprised and shocked by Dilshan’s omission. Mubarak foughtbravely in the first Test, scoring 34 important runs, but thereafter it wasall downhill with scores of 0, 13 and 2. It would be a true tragedy if hewas to become the second innocent victim of de Mel’s “frustration”.When Samaraweera snicked to slip it was a pivotal time in the Test match.Sangakkara, with help from Mahela Jayawardene and Samaraweera, had resistedfor two and a half sessions. The score was 333 for 4 and Sri Lanka hadfinally established a slim lead. It was the perfect time for Dilshan toenter the arena. Since returning to international cricket he has played hisnatural aggressive game, with some notable success against England andAustralia.An injection of energy into the innings would have eased the pressure onSangakkara’s tired shoulders and carried Sri Lanka away from Pakistan.Instead, though, the innings stagnated and then nosedived with three morewickets tumbling in the final hour. Pakistan were left jubilant at theclose, aware that only a miracle could prevent them from levelling theseries. The duly did so.Sri Lanka though can be proud of their performance. They were put into baton a tricky damp pitch and forced onto the backfoot from the start. But theybattled hard, session after session, refusing to be broken as the Pakistanlead ticked up. Certain doom appeared inevitable but the likes of ChamindaVaas, Jayasuriya and Sangakkara were heroic in their refusal to surrender.If you measure results in with results it mattered little, Sri Lanka werethe losers and a series was shared, but this was a performance to celebrate.Once again, it showed how well Atapattu has bonded together and inspired histeam. They are once again a tight unit, committed to fight for each otherand for Sri Lanka until the very end. This spirit is so precious.Unfortunately, their task was undermined by a selector. De Mel may well beupset with the attitude of John Dyson, who has taken a stronger stance onselection than Dav Whatmore, and Atapattu, both of whom are focused onwinning, but he must understand that they are accountable for results. Theirjob is to win series and to carry Sri Lanka to the top. Their mission was tobeat Pakistan.De Mel may have had some sound reasons for his frustration, but there was noneed for a public attack two days before a tri-series final, and there wasno need for Dilshan to be sacrificed. De Mel made a misjudgement, a seriousseries-wasting clanger, but will he be held accountable? Only the SportsMinister can answer that. But he should go, and go soon before more damageis done.