Category Archives: confrontations on field

August 29, 2017 · 2:06 pm

Unruly Cricket Crowds a Slur on Our Country– Indrajit Coomaraswamy

Indrajit Coomaraswamy in Sunday Times and elsewhere

Sports lovers, particularly cricket fans, must be highly concerned about the unruly crowd behaviour at recent ODIs. Last week, there was the wholly unbecoming experience of the Sri Lanka cricketers being booed at a home match and then having to remain in their dressing room until they were escorted away from the stadium by the Police. Then there was the unacceptable episode where play had to be suspended because of unruly crowd behaviour. Fortunately, it was possible to complete the game eventually.

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August 11, 2017 · 6:13 pm

Sampath Perera and Niroshan Dickwella

Sidharth Monga, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 11 August 2017, where the title runs  The rise of the sweep-happy, street-smart Dickwella

Despite all the hype around mystery cricketers, Sri Lankan cricket would not have risen without a more prosaic, solid supply line from the schools. Arjuna Ranatunga’s one big lament has been the decline of schools cricket, otherwise “the best system in the world”. Schools cricket in Sri Lanka has been stuff of legend. There are about 30 Big Matches, traditional annual matches played between two certain schools. The Royal-Thomian is the biggest Big Match, a phenomenon in itself with a festival-like atmosphere over the three days of the match and on days leading up to it. Up in the hill country, the Big Match of Kandy, the battle of the blues, between St Anthony and Trinity, was a one-sided affair when Sampath Perera took over in September 2008.

Niroshan Dickwella counterattacked with inventive shots AFP

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April 25, 2017 · 1:02 am

Arjuna the Indomitable: Challenging Aussie Skulduggery in 1995-98 … and More

Andrew Fidel Fernando, courtesy of The Cricket Monthly, at ESPNcricinfo … http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1087120/arjuna-versus …where the title is “Arjuna Versus”

 January 1999: Sri Lankan supporters show Ranatunga some love outside Adelaide Oval, where he was facing a disciplinary hearing

v Australia, 1995-96
Sri Lanka have played in higher-octane, better contested and far more watchable series, but for pure watershed value none has left its mark on the island’s cricket like this pre-World Cup thrashing in Australia. If Ranatunga had not been at the helm, things might have gone very differently; it was the kind of tour that can run teams aground.

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March 10, 2017 · 1:04 am

Outright Abuse — with Umpires as the Proverbial Monkeys

Hear no EVIL? See no Evil! 

What were the Umpires doing at this moment!!

 Merv Hughes vilifies Graeme Hicks and seeks to disturb his equanimity …..

look carefully at the Aussie supporters in Indian NOW and ,,,, you will see this bloke: An Aussie Legend !!

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December 30, 2016 · 1:34 pm

Sri Lanka’s Golden Oldies of the 1970s

Sankaran Krishna, in ESPNcricinfo, December 2016 where the title is  “Sri Lanka’s pre-Test glory days”

Of late, it seems India play Sri Lanka in some form of cricket just about every other month. These matches, especially one-dayers, have little charm and no one really remembers anything much about them. Sri Lankan cricketers have suffered from over-exposure in India, which is such a pity when you think of the soft caress of Mahela Jayawardene’s strokeplay or the elegance of Kumar Sangakkara, to mention just two of their finest.
sunil-in-full-flow  Sunil Wettimuny bats against Australia in the 1975 World Cup, before he was forced to retire hurt, courtesy Thommo © Getty Images
There was a time, back in the 1970s, when cricketers from Sri Lanka were exotic and rare creatures, who created quite an impact on schoolboys like me in Madras. We caught a glimpse of them during the annual MJ Gopalan Trophy (thankfully now revived after a long hiatus), which pitted the Sri Lankans against the Tamil Nadu state team. The matches were three-day affairs and often keenly contested. And there was the unofficial two-Test series between a near-full-strength Indian team in its pomp and the Sri Lankans in early 1974. Though India won 1-0, the home team more than held their own.

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December 22, 2016 · 12:30 pm

Murali chats with Ishara about his Life in Cricket

Ishara Jayawardane, in  Daily News, 22 December 2016, with the title “A spin with the spin master”

Modest yet amazing, and humble yet incredible. A man of very few words but mighty deeds. Outstanding Personalities features spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan who is regarded as the greatest bowler in the history of test cricket. Muralitharan holds the world record for the most number of wickets in both test and one-day cricket.

Q. Murali, you are the greatest bowler in test cricket and one day internationals claiming the highest number of wickets; 800 in test cricket and 534 in one-day international cricket. How do you evaluate your career?

A. I had a great career. I am very happy about what I have achieved. And I became the highest wicket taker in both forms of the game. So I am very happy about it.

 

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November 6, 2016 · 7:08 am

AFP Report. Coroner’s Verdict on Phil Hughes’ Death: ‘Tiny Misjudgement’

AFP, 6 November 2016, http://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/tiny-misjudgement-led-to-phil-hughes-unsurvivable-injury-coroner/story-QPQrHL4KG3AWBHtctD4anJ.html

Australian batsman Phillip Hughes made a “minuscule misjudgement” before he was fatally struck by a cricket ball, a coroner ruled on Friday, attaching no blame to the bowler, verbal abuse or the tactic of sending down short-pitched deliveries. Hughes, who played 26 Tests, died from bleeding on the brain in November 2014 after being hit on the neck by a rising ball from Sean Abbott while batting in a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The death of the popular 25-year-old, who had risen through the ranks to play for his country, stunned Australia and the world cricket community, sparking an outpouring of grief.

cricket-aus-nzl-hughes-files_fea50f4a-a240-11e6-8b09-4d35dc1d77aaA photo of Phil Hughes is displayed on a scoreboard as a minute of silence is observed before play on the first day of the fourth Test match between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 6, 2015, less than two months after Hughes’ death. (AFP)

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Filed under Australia Cricket, Australian cricket, confrontations on field, cricket and life, cricketing icons, cricketing rules, sportsmanship, technology and cricket, verbal intimidation

November 6, 2016 · 6:03 am

Sledging dirties a Beautiful Game, says Coroner Barnes in Hughes’ Inquest Verdict

John Townsend and Daniel Mercer, in The West Australian, 5 November 2016, with the following title “Sledging in the spotlight after Hughes inquiry”

The coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has raised questions around the culture of sledging in cricket. Hughes died in November 2014, two days after being struck by a ball in the back of the head while batting for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield game against NSW at the SCG. Although NSW Coroner Michael Barnes found no one was to blame, he took aim at what he said was an unhealthy culture of sledging by cricketers, who he urged to “reflect upon whether the practice … is worthy of its participants. An outsider is left to wonder why such a beautiful game would need such an ugly underside,” Mr Barnes said.

Phil Hughes poses for a portrait during a Cricket Australia player camp. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images Continue reading →

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November 6, 2016 · 4:37 am

A Miracle: Steve Smith Rapped on Knuckles for His Dissenting Reaction by Some Australian Commentators

Though Stuart Clark and some Australian commentators implied that Smith was hard done by, Robert Craddock, Ian Chappel and Wayne Smith were among those who upheld Aleem Dar’s decision and reprimanded Steve Smith for the character of his remonstrance. Also note Sangakakra’s decisive opinion on the issue of the Umpire’s cCall for lbw decision and DRS. Michael Roberts

ONE: Robert Craddock, in The Courier Mail, 6 November 2016. where the title is  “Steve Smith walking a perilous tight rope as he struggles to find his identity as a captain”

STEVE Smith is a captain is like a young Steve Waugh, a man searching to find himself but not there yet. It’s no crime for a young captain to have a formulative period where he works out who he is and what he stands for. Some leaders like Mark Taylor knew from the moment he was appointed who he was and what he wanted to do (it helps if you have Warne and McGrath). Taylor barely changed in the five years he had the job. Most leaders take more time. Steve Waugh struggled for a while, trying to be all things to all people before deciding “stuff this … I am just going to back my gut feeling and cop the consequences.’’

Steve Smith is facing a fine for his on-field outburst after being given out LBW. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

It is difficult for Smith to take this stance and be the person he wants to be because there are so many conflicting and confusing forces around him. He is walking on a perilous tight rope which has trouble either side of it. On one hand he senses his side is a quiet one and needs to find his voice and aggression. He wants Australia to get its marauding mojo back.  On the other hand he is aware that in the fallout of the Phil Hughes death, sledging is suddenly a dirty word. So he and his team need to be confident but not arrogant, aggressive but not offensive, loud but not obnoxious. Continue reading →

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October 27, 2016 · 9:11 am

The WHY and the WILL behind the Bouncer

Mitchell Johnson …Admits that he was never the same bowler after the death of Phillip Hughes … see  “Resilient Mitchell Johnson’s ups and downs ,” … at Cricket | ESPN Cricin = http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/1063489.html

Resilient Johnson’s ups and downs

Johnson was in Perth when the news came through that Hughes had been struck in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. In the coming days as it became apparent how grave the situation was, he jumped on a plane to Sydney. When Johnson landed and switched on his phone, he learned that Hughes had died. “I just sat there with my cap pulled down and cried as everybody got off the flight”.mitch-11

5.12.2013 - Ashes 2nd Test, Australia v England, Adelaide Oval - Day 3 Mitchell Johnson celebrates his 5th wicket that of Graeme Swann caught Clarke.

5.12.2013 – Ashes 2nd Test, Australia v England, Adelaide Oval – Day 3 Mitchell Johnson celebrates his 5th wicket that of Graeme Swann caught Clarke. 

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