Hari - The Liverpool Fan pointed me to this cricket news (
http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/21133/Jayasuriya-might-bat-down-the-order) suggesting Jayasuriya to bat in the middle order. Moreover he wanted me to share some fundae about it. While chatting with him, I started translating the Life Fundae to Cricket and vice versa. The discussion became interesting. The thoughts below are just an extension linking life and cricket while elaborating on an insane Srilankan thought to move Jayasuriya to middle order.
Rule 1:
Never Change a winning/working combinationIf something has really worked well for Srilanka from the middle nineties till date is their quality spin bowling and scintillating top order batting. Murali has really been on the pinnacle of success all through and so has been Jayasuriya since the days when he redefined the top order batting alongwith Kaluwitharana starting 1996 World Cup. He has won innumerable games for Srilanka and now has a very able partner in Dilshan* who has really been a sensation on the top for Delhi during IPL. Both have immense potential to provide brisk start to the innings. These two followed by Sangakara @ no. 3 and Jayawardhane @ no. 4 form an ideal top 4 and if one of them bats through the innings, Srilanka is likely to post larger and larger totals and win more and more games. I see no reason to believe why Srilankan selectors are so much paranoid of the sudden glitch of temporary form to Jayasuriya, forgetting his permanent class.
Something that has worked for so long is likely to work for lifetime. The need of the hour is to back him with confidence and not to move him to the middle order.
Rule 2: Learn from Others' mistakesThe top 4 are the pillars of Srilankan batting, a reliable source of strength while the middle order and the late middle order has been susceptible largely because of inexperience. Possibly, Selectors want to move Jayasuriya to the middle order to add that vital experience to hold one end so that the side does not crumble in crunch situations. If you poke in the recent history, Indian team went through the same predicament before 2007 World Cup and guru Greg (Chappell) envisioned a strategy moving Tendulkar to the middle order. The result is there for all to see; LoLz. Life is too short to learn from ones' own mistakes. Srilankan selectors would certainly reduce one if they look at their neighbor.
Rule 3: Build upon your strengths and improve upon the weak links Modern cricket is all about a balance of a side. Side that can provide brisk starts, sustain momentum in the middle and pile it towards the end result victorious. While bowling one has to prevent other side from building partnerships. Srilankan bowling has been brilliant with Murali, Mendis and Malinga (3Ms) providing quality options for the captain. The top order is world class while the only weakness being the middle and late middle order. Moving Jayasuriya to the middle order would mean sacrificing the strength to guards against a weak link and the result would hardly be in favor of Srilanka in the long run.
Rule 4: Two wrongs never make a right In other words, moving Jayasuriya to the middle order will be wrong on both counts. It would diminish the desirable ferocity at the top of the order while adding only marginally to the middle order. To site an example, Indian team ranked up to no. 1 (or 2) ODI spot today not because Tendulkar moved to the middle order but largely because MSD has adeptly assumed the role of the finisher. Many a times, he has had to crub his natural instincts to ensure reliable run chase and hasn't he done beautifully? Michael Beven in the nineties played the same role for Australia and results were evident. What Srilanka needs at this hour is somebody in the middle order to play a similar role of a finisher. Easier said than done but there is a large talent pool out there and the role of the selectors is to handpick a talent, groom him to ensure that he delivers. Meddling with the world class top order would be a disaster, a complete disaster...
To me all this sounds a common sense but as adage goes "Common sense is not very common". Well, that's tagged Rule No. 5.Update added after Hari's comment:
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Now, that brings me to Rule No. 6.
Kiss in Public; Kick in private!!!Guess, all managers, coaches, mentors should follow this. What have Srilankan selectors achieved going to the media for Jaya's case? Sensation, infamy and nothing else. So did Guru Greg when he talked so much about the batting flexibility of the Indian batting order and blah, blah, blah. Instead of offering the confidence to the rookies, it made them paranoid, uncertain about their role in the team and that in turn unsettled the entire squad. I am curious to know what Rafa Benitez informed Gerrald about his vision while moving him to all possible places?
On the issue of giving adequate respect to our players, I tend to think that we Asians in general bring more emotions than warranted about our stars (beyond a point we fail to recognize them as players, as humans). Look at the way Aussies deal with their players. Professional, Methodological. How they offered a fitting farewell to Steven Waugh and moved on. If Waugh would have been playing for India, he would never ever have retired. Did Ganguly ever wanted to retire? In reality, the job of selectors is very vital in Asian ecosystem and they need to assess the value of every player (senior and junior) from time to time. Age honestly does not count but the fitness, focus, ideas and 3-D (Determination, Dedication and Discipline) count the most.
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* Other option is Tharanga. But I prefer to root for Dilshan.
