Category talk:All-Ceylon cricketers

Sad plight of our deteriorating batting By Kasturiarachchi Warnakulasuriya Before Muttiah Muralitharan created history in bowling, Sri Lanka's cricket speciality, was batting.

Even in the past, Sri Lanka could not produce world class bowlers, but a host of middle level bowlers like C.T.C. Edwards, P.I. Peiris, Neil Chanmugam, Sahabandu, Tony Opatha etc. Only D.S. Jayasundara who played during maestro Sathasivam's era, came into world prominence as a bowler.

But our track record as powerful stroke players in the batting department has been very impressive starting from M. Sathasivam upto the present stalwarts like Sanath, Aravinda, Arjuna, Marvan, Romesh and Mahela. Aravinda had been rated as world's No. 2 or 3 upto 1998. And Sanath Jayasuriya who started his cricket career as a bowler from Southern province, emerged as a world class batsman as a master blaster and a fireworks player with various records of fastest century, half century and blaster of sixers.

There was a time Aussies or Kiwis inquiring about "Little Kalu" whether his two wrists are made of steel and his name was the "talk of the town" in every public transport when he hammered a power packed century against them. Our's was the world's most senior captain for more than 10 years with only 4 centuries to his credit.

What has happened to their batting speciality during the past two years? The man who was placed first in Ceat batting ratings is now placed 24th in Princewaterhouse Cooper odi ratings: Aravinda, another master blaster of world repute has gone down to 29th position.

Not so prominent batsmen like Kiwi Nathan Astle, Zim-Neil Johnson have emerged into 4th and 7th places, respectively. Sri Lanka is a cricketing nation which has produced world class batsmen like M. Satha, Serams, Gunasekaras, Gamini Goonesena, Stanley Jayasinghe, Michael Tissera, Anura Tennakoon, Douglas Jayasinghe, Wettamuni.

It is a pity that none of our powerful batsmen, who have been in the past records are unable to occupy a berth within the top ten in these latest ratings.

Up and coming batsman Marvan Atapattu is the highest ranked Sri Lankan, but that's a poor 20th place. Anyway our heartiest congratulations for this young man, for having come up, after successive failures during the period 1990-1995.

All these show that our prominent batsmen's scoring rate during the recent past has been deteriorating overall. Going for rash, careless shots, throwing away the wicket without grit determination to stay at the crease, poor mentality have contributed to this downfall. Yet they have the ability, potential, talent and prowess to go for big scores. Aravinda's double tons, Mahela's double tons, Jayasuriya's 340 and Sri Lanka's record total in that innings, Kalu's iron wrists, Wettamuni's 190 at Lords, injury stricken Arjuna's determination to win a match single-handed can speak volumes for our batting ability and speciality to date. It is a pity that they have failed to produce such identities in the recent past. They have the ability to defeat others not merely but with distinction.

The latest lessons for our batting prodigies from Aravinda to Dilshan is the grit determination of Michael Bevan, who carried the bat single handed to the last ball of the day against such a mighty Asia XI who comprised 8 bowlers out of a possible 10 the other day, where our blaster Sanath threw away a fine chance that came his way. That is the type of carelessness and indifference, our able batsmen should determine to avoid. Our batsmen should be courageous too, how to get rid of pitfalls of team mates in consolidated games, like the Asia XI vs the rest of the world.

It is high time for them to have a self-restraint determination for a come- back in the coming cricket fiesta from May to July to make amends. Make use of April and May to the fullest, with best possible homework to get ready for a fine come-back. Good luck! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.18.201.173 (talk) 21:51, 8 January 2009 (UTC)