I used to be a passionate Sri Lankan cricket fan. Even though I say “used to be,” I still found myself waking up at 4:30 am this morning to catch Sri Lanka’s World Cup game. However, within an hour, I returned to my much-needed Saturday rest. Later, I saw on social media that Sri Lanka had lost, and honestly, I felt nothing. This loss, like many others in recent times, has become all too normal and accepted. Sri Lankan cricket has “died” multiple times, and a post-mortem is no longer required.
One glaring issue is the presence of Test players in the shorter formats. The moment I saw our current Test captain playing in today’s T20 match, I knew the game was a lost cause. His approach was the first sign of defeat. Historically, Sri Lankan captains have come from elite schools for a reason , symbolizing our sport-loving country. Nowadays, it seems acceptable for a local street thug, referred to in Sinhalese as “Rasthiyadukaraya,” to captain the team with no clue what he’s doing. While it is his personal choice to have tattoos and earrings, his inability to speak and lead effectively is concerning. Instead, he resorts to showing off, which we locally refer to as “full of PADA show.”
Our cricket will not improve unless the entire current set of administrators and coaches are replaced. In recent years, Mahela Jayawardena served as a consultant for thousands of US dollars. He should be nowhere near Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) because he has been a significant failure in coaching setups. Until the administration becomes an honorary role filled by individuals passionate about the sport rather than financial gain, our cricket will never return to its glory days of the 90s and early 2000s.
Someone needs to have the guts to throw rotten eggs and tomatoes when the team returns, and more importantly, the administrators need to be shown the door. Who will have that courage? The current state of Sri Lankan cricket is a reflection of poor leadership and misguided priorities, and only a complete overhaul can restore it to its former greatness