For more than one and half year now, Sri Lanka Chief selector Graeme Labrooy is doing his best in destroying not only the progress of the national team by messing with everything, but he is also pushing back and demoralizing youth cricketers big time!
As he has no time to properly watch the international matches due to his other dozen of ‘professional commitments’, he has given the responsibility of looking after the U19 cricket to his fellow selector Gamini Wickramsinghe. The sad thing is, he is equally incompetent!
There is a player named Mahesh Theekshana from St. Benedict College, Kotahena. An Off spinner, with plenty of variety. Those, who has played with him, calls him ‘Podi Ajantha Mendis as he has an many variations as any off spinner could have in his armory.
Maheesh, along with another player Ravindu Fernando from Maristella College, Negembo, we’re part of original squad for the upcoming U19 Asia Cup. However, selectors thrown them out of the final squad, as they passed Yo Yo test but couldn’t pass skin fold test.
However, selectors picked Lakshitha Rasanjana ( Nalanda College Colombo) and
Muditha Lakshan (Mahanama College Colombo) as their replacement, but allowed them to skip the Yo Yo Test!
Moreover, selectors ignorance push Maheesh up to that level, that he could have been killed himself.
On July 5th the skin fold of Maheesh was 120 and in just less than two months he reduced it to unbelievable 96.4.
In medical language as well, it was a hell of an effort from a 18 year old kid, who wanted to represent his country at any cost! Even then, selectors couldn’t convince with his work ethic and thrown him out from the squad!
Though, this is not the first time that ‘certain’ Sri Lanka players get this kind of step motherly treatment. Few years back, Ajantha Mendis was considered as ‘one of the best spinner’ in world cricket. But, when he was shattering all bowling records, Sri Lanka national team bowling coach Piyal Wijetunge tried to change his bowling action. Mendis suffered from back pain as a result and was slowly disappeared from the international arena.
Now, selectors are once again trying the same, with the clone of Ajantha Mendis – Maheesh Theekshana!
People’s, who are suffering from the incompetence of Gamini Wickramsinghe, said that he doesn’t know anything about the selection. He never carries a diary and pen even while coming for finalizing the squad.
“Graeme Labrooy led selection committee has no plan, no criteria for the selection. They just picks players, only on the recommendations from ‘influential’ and ‘interested’ parties” a former selector told Cricket Age.
