In December 2017, he arrived in Sri Lanka as a ‘Messiah’. To revive his floundering regime, Thilanga Sumathipala brought Chandika Hathurusingha to divert his critics attention. Even then, Cricket fans had a belief that he would change the fortune of Sri Lanka Cricket. Instead, In next 10 months, Hathurusingha pushed back Sri Lanka cricket to his lowest point! The reason is Sri Lanka brought him to coach the team, instead he became a manipulater, as he wants to control everything. Now, as a weakened Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) has given him all the powers, all the resources, if national team has hit a new low, it’s the responsibility of Hathurusingha to held the accountability of failure as well.
The reality is that right after his arrival, Hathurasingha started to manipulate things by cutting all those people’s from the national team setup, who were threat to him. Instead, he brought all his associates and those associates also gave hollow promises for the resurgent of Sri Lanka Cricket. Ten months have been passed, but instead of improving, Sri Lanka has become the newest ‘minnows’ of world cricket.
After analyzing Hathurusingha’s 10 months period with Sri Lanka team, here are 10 points, for those he is clearly held responsible :
1. Thilan Samaraweera As Batting Coach : you can term this as a joke of the century! A test batsman, who played defensive cricket all his life, was appointed Sri Lanka’s batting coach. In his coaching career, Samaraweera was a failure and that’s why Bangladesh terminated his contract midway through. However, even before his arrival, Hathurusingha placed him into Sri Lanka team! since his appointment, no Sri Lanka player could manage a single hundred in ODI cricket! In 12 test matches since then, Sri Lanka managed only 6 centuries in longer format! Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Mendis and Roshen Silva had impressed big time before his arrival. Now, they all looked jaded and lost! Since his appointment, Sri Lanka ODI team has completely forgotten how to play entire 50 overs!
2. Over Reliance On Foreigners : Hathurasingha believes in Australians and has no faith in Sri Lanka’s domestic coaches. For dozen of so called workshops, he brought unknown Australian consultants to train players. Only outcome of those workshops was that it cost SLC Millions of rupees! those former players, who turned coaches and have been grinding themselves for years in domestic cricket, has lost the hope, as Hathurasingha never considered them for national team coaching setup. Now, SLC must ask him what he achieved for Sri Lanka Cricket with all his preferred coaching staff and consultants?
3. Complete Mess up With Team Composition : For years, he has created a myth of being a shrewd tactician. Reality is, he couldn’t sort out Sri Lanka team composition in ten months. Kusal Perera is worldwide famous for his aggressive batting at top. Hathurusingha is continuesly playing him in middle order. Kusal Mendis was doing wonders at number four in ODI format. Hathurasingha made him an opener. As a result, Mendis has not made a half century in his last 20 innings. it is also unclear, where he wants to bat Dhananjaya De Silva? right from the beginning, he keeps saying that his focus is on 2019 world Cup. Is he sure that Upul Tharanga is a right choice as an opener in world cup, which will be played in England?
4. Complete Failure In Finding Bowling Combination : Hathurusingha says he wants more wrist spinners in the team. For Asia Cup, he played three off-spinners in the playing eleven! Sri Lanka has lots of wrist spinners : Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Jeffrey Vandersay. Hathurusingha and his bowling coach Piyal Wijetunge never tried to give them a long run in ODI format.
5. Complete Mess Up With Fielding : Sri Lanka’s fielding standard is worse than any school team. Hathurusingha is the sole responsibile for this. He has ordered a weakened SLC that Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal are allowed to skip the Yo Yo test, as they are injury prone. In addition, he plays Tharanga, Malinga, Mathews, Dilruwan Perera in the same squad! In this scenario, how will he improve the fielding standard? If Angelo Mathews can’t pass the Yo Yo test, means he is not match fit. Then, by allowing him to skip the Yo Yo test and including him into the team, isn’t Hathurusingha destroying Sri Lanka cricket world Cup prospects?
6. Millions Of Spending On So Called Psychologic Sessions : Dr. Phil Jauncey is an Australian based renowned psychologist. He is a close friend of Hathurusingha. In last ten months, he has brought Dr. Jauncey couple of times to make Sri Lanka players mentally tough. It cost SLC Millions of rupees. The outcome is Sri Lanka players have completely been down and out mentally. When even Bangladesh bowling sensation Rashid Khan is smashing half century, Sri Lanka batsmen have forgotten the art of making runs. In each and every match, at least five to six batsmen gets out playing false shots. They have completely forgotten how to construct an innings and how to play according to situation! In this scenario, what’s the logic to invite Dr. Jauncey for countless sessions?
7. Continues Useless Domestic Tournaments : right from the beginning, Hathurusingha has made it a habit to force SLC for conducting useless domestic tournaments. In May, before west Indies tour, SLC organized a four-day tournament. Before Asia Cup, they organized a t20 tournament. It cost SLC millions of rupees. The only outcome was that Sri Lanka lost a golden opportunity to prepare for the Asia Cup. Afghanistan chose to arrive in UAE a week before the Asia Cup. They have beaten Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka have knocked out from the tournament, even without playing match against India and Pakistan!
8. Code Of Conduct Of Players : this is a strange that after the arrival of Hathurusingha, Sri Lanka players have been involved in plenty of controversies. Danushka Gunathilika, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dinesh Chandimal have been suspended either by SLC or ICC for their involvement in bringing disrepute to the game. As Hathurasingha has gets whatever he wants from the SLC, isn’t it’s his responsibility to teach players about the on field manners?
9. Habit Of Coming To Sri Lanka One Week Prior The Assignment : Hathurusingha lives in Australia. All his coaching staff members including Thilan Samaraweera, Rumesh Rathnayake also live there. After conclusion of every series they flies back to Australia and returns only one or two weeks prior the next series. When SLC forcefully organized domestic tournaments, Hathurusingha was not there, neither his coaching staff. He is also a selector and as Graeme Labrooy prefers his ICC duty and considers SLC responsibility as a part time job, Hathurasingha has the final say in selecting the team, especially after cutting of Asanka Gurusinha. Imagine, how he and his coaching staff will identify the players, when they never watched them playing in the domestic tournaments.
10. Ignoring The Media : Most importantly, Hathurusingha never comes to talk to media. He has that habit in Bangladesh as well. After ball tampering controversy, he decided to stay in West Indies in order to avoid media. Yesterday itself, he talked rudely to media person’s at the airport. Ravi Shastri frequently talks to media. Trever Bayliss shares a good rapport with English media. Hathurusingha thinks as he is the ‘Messiah’ he is not responsible to anyone. Maitland place is without elected board and CEO Ashley De Silva has no courage to question Hathurusingha. Then, who whom Hathurusingha is accountable, if he prefers to skip media?
After his arrival, Hathurusingha promised Sri Lanka fans to bring national team glory back. Forget this, Now Sri Lanka is getting defeated by Afghanistan. Ten months have passed, and hardly seven months remains for the World Cup. It is shame for a coach, who draws 5.4 million rupees as monthly salary, that he could not return anything to Sri Lanka cricket in ten months! It is time for Sports Minister Faizer Mustapha, who has ordered for an inquiry after another pathetic performance in the Asia Cup, and SLC to ask Hathurusingha some hard questions?
