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| U-19 cricket tour of India
in February by Ranjan Paranavithana Sri Lanka under 19 cricketers will leave for India on February 16 where they will meet the Indian under-19 XI in 3 Tests and 3 One-dayers in a month long tour. This tour was earlier scheduled for last December but was postponed to February, 1999. According to Cricket Board President, Thilanga Sumathipala, the tour has been confirmed by the Indian Cricket authorities, but the venues have still not been scheduled. An 'A' pool of 35 players has been picked for this tour after 5 trial games. The following cricketers should report to the Cricket Board on January 11 at 11 a.m. These players are also requested to contact Coach, Carlton Bernardus before January 11. The Pool Wijesinghe - a prophet in our land It was ‘The Island’ columnist, Mahinda Wijesinghe who mooted the concept of walkie talkies to be used by international umpires 16 years ago. When Mahinda Wijesinghe, currently our cricket correspondent, first wrote about the possibility of international umpires going on to the field with walkie-talkies and to be in communication with another of their colleagues in the pavilion watching a TV screen and giving advice on hair-line appeals when asked for - published in ‘The Island’ of 11th October 1982 - there were many eyebrows raised. The concept of the Third Umpire was born. Wijesinghe was then the Executive Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation. In 1984, mainly at the behest of the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, the late Hon. Gamini Dissanayake, the local board presented a paper, based on Wijesinghe’s concept, to the International Cricket Conference. Though rejected at the time, the concept was accepted when presented by another Full Member in 1993. Over the years, Wijesinghe has suggested quite a few changes to the Laws of Cricket which had the undivided attention of the mandarins at the Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.) in London. But, as expected, the changes were ‘shelved’. However, in 1995 they could not dodge the issue, when Wijesinghe stumbled on to an arithmetical error in the laws pertaining to the weight of a cricket ball! That the error was corrected without the publicity it deserved is indeed sad since amending the statute without sufficient notice can have dangerous ramifications. In 1984, Wijesinghe whilst still being the Executive Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation, also suggested that there should be a ‘New Look at Cricket Coaching’. Writing a paper under that heading and addressing it to former Australian Test player and coach, Peter Philpott, who was then consultant to the local Cricket Board, Wijesinghe suggested, inter alia: "It maybe a revolutionary approach to coaching but I firmly advocate that coaches should help youngsters first to develop ball sense and then only teach the proper execution of strokes...a question of putting the horse before the cart. I am sure if there isn’t work done already on this field, physical medicine experts, opthalmologists and experts in the field of biomechanics could help....finally, I would like to conclude on a rather ominous note. It is rumoured that China is contemplating cricket. Next it could be Russia, Poland or East Germany. Knowing their method of always approaching sport in a scientific and detached manner, I feel they will develop ball-sense in their regiments (!) of players and then consult the Red Book - which could be the MCC Book of Coaching translated and adapted!! That was written on 11th December 1984. Subsequently, Wijesinghe plugged this line in an article published in ‘The Island’ on 25th October 1986, and concluded by stating: "Why not Sri Lanka be the pioneer in this field?" On the 29th of November 1998, Wijesinghe broached this subject again in ‘The Island’, under the headline: "Are coaches putting the cart before the horse?" Now here comes the spin-off. During the course of an interview published in the January 1999 issue of the prestigious Cricketer magazine of London, Jack Potter, the first coach of the world-famous Australian Cricket Academy whose methods are the envy of the rest of the cricket-playing world, had this to say when questioned as to ‘at what age should coaching start?’ Replied the knowledgeable and successful Potter: "Earlier the better. I have always thought that if the East Germans - as they once were - or the Russians took up cricket seriously, then they would change the record books, selecting youngsters with certain anthropometrical specifications and training them to perform. There wouldn’t be lots of enjoyment in the game, but they would be hard to beat...." Echoes of what the local prophet wrote over 14 years back. SLPA Sports Festival at
Sugathadasa Stadium The second annual Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Sports Festival now in progress will conclude tomorrow at the Sugathadasa Stadium. "This is a concept of Minister of Port Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction M. H. M. Ashraff to rally round all port workers in an event of this nature, and to promote closer brotherhood among them and to help the talented men and women by providing necessary facilities for them to reach both national and international standards; said his deputy Reggie Ranatunga, who addressed a press conference in this regard. He disclosed that the competitions were started on November 16 on a divisional basis among over 18,000 employees of Colombo, Galle and Trincomalee. "All Participants will be provided with necessary playing kits and those who secure first three places will be awarded with certificates, medals and prizes. The team event will be awarded with challenge trophies", he added. The Ports Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Minister M. H. M. Ashraff said that this Sports Festival has contributed immensely towards the ports development. "When we took over we had eternal strikes, which hampered the progress of the SLPA. But now sports has virtually stopped all those. Our employees now know what team work is", he said. The SLPA also organised an All-Island 75-mile cycling race to commemorate the birth centenary of former Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike on a suggestion made by 'The Island'. Minister Ashraff also agreed to conduct an Open Volleyball tournament for their next sports festival. Those employees who represented the country in international events and best athletes, both men women and sports star of the S.L.P.A. Year 1998 men and women will be awarded with special awards. In addition there will be 100 special awards for disabled servicemen of the country. The final day is scheduled for January 8. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will be the chief guest and Minister of Port Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction M. H. M. Ashraff will be the Guest of Honour. The Minister of Sports and Samurdi S. B. Dissanayaka and Deputy Minister of Ports Development Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Reggie Ranathunga and Cabinet Ministers will be among the distinguished guests. The disciplines in the Sports Festival are Athletics, Road Race (men & women), Cricket, Elle, Hockey, Netball, Soccer, Volleyball, Badminton, Carrom, Swimming, Table Tennis, Billiards and Snooker, Cycling (ports workers men, women and open) and Physical Culture. Mercantile hockey tournament begins The Mercantile Hockey Association (MHA) hockey tournament began recently in four divisions. The 'A' division tournament for the Panadol Trophy consists of seven teams. The 'B' division will be competed for the Well Wisher Trophy and Phoenix Industries and John Keells Trophy will be awarded for the 'C' and 'D' division winners. The final round matches and the finals will be held in late March. 'A' Division: Commercial Bank, HNB 'A', Singer, Bartleets Group, John Keells Group, Pelwatte Sugar Industries, Arpico; 'B' Division: Air Lanka, Sampath Bank, Airport and Aviation. 'C' Division: Hayleys, Upali Group, Ceylon Tobacco, HNB 'B'; 'D' Division: Browns Group, Unilevers, Lipton and Brooke Bond, Metropolitan SC. (AN) |
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