2020: the year of COVID-19, LPL and Wanindu Hasaranga

SL cricketers at practice during the COVID-19 lockdown

 The LPL proved a gateway for the cricket-starved players and fans

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

For the Sri Lankan cricketers, 2020, which has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, started and ended playing against African nations, with mixed results.

Wanindu Hasaranga is turning out to be a match winning all rounder for Sri Lanka

The year began promisingly with a 1-0 win in a two-Test series in Zimbabwe, followed by a 3-0 sweep in the ODIs and a 0-2 loss in the T20Is against the West Indies at home, until the dreaded pandemic struck in March, resulting in the two-Test series against England at home being postponed. That led to a series of postponements for Sri Lanka of inbound tours by South Africa, India and Bangladesh.

The COVID-19 lockdown that followed was a new experience for the widely travelled cricketers. While their families may have welcomed the presence of the cricketers at home, it was a challenge for them to get used to a totally different lifestyle, both mentally and physically.

However much one trains on his own at home and practices in groups, there is no substitution for match practice. The Lankan cricketers went through the motions of getting themselves physically and mentally prepared to host Bangladesh for a three-Test series in October, only to be told that it won’t take place due to a stalemate between the two Cricket Boards over quarantine requirements. Thus, the national cricketers found themselves with no international engagements since the West Indies tour ended in the first week of March. 

Thankfully, the two-Test tour to South Africa came through and the Lankan cricketers finally found themselves back in business, although with dire consequences.

The long period of inactivity at international level took its toll on the players and Sri Lanka who went into the series quietly confident of repeating their success of 2019 when they won 2-0, suddenly found themselves walking wounded, as one by one their key players started to get injured. 

For starters, the spearhead of the bowling attack Suranga Lakmal failed to declare himself fit for selection for the first Test, after which followed a string of injuries during the Test to in-form all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara and Dinesh Chandimal. The injuries saw Sri Lanka, who began the first day of the Test promisingly by posting a total of 396, gradually lose their grip and eventually end the year 2020 on a losing note by going down to South Africa by an innings and 45 runs.

Everyone knows that playing T20 cricket is not the best preparation to play a five-day Test. However, in this modern age the international itineraries consist of ODIs and T20Is before the start of a Test series. Thus, one cannot place the blame for the injuries to the players because the majority of them took part in the inaugural Lanka Premier League (LPL) before they embarked on the tour to South Africa.

The LPL at least gave the cricketers an opportunity to play some competitive cricket ahead of the Test series, without which they would have gone straight into it with hardly any match practice. It is unfortunate that so many injuries occurred in one Test, but that comes when one remains inactive for a long period of time and suddenly their workload is increased, rather than over a period of time.

From Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) point of view, the LPL proved a grand success thanks to the help they received from the Government to overcome the strict health regulations that were in force for the pandemic. What the SLC showed during the 23 matches that were played throughout the 20 days with international players was that they had the capacity to host an event of this nature successfully, despite the pandemic.

The year was significant for the emergence of Wanindu Hasaranga as a genuine all-rounder with match-winning capabilities. He showcased his skills on several occasions in white ball cricket with bat, ball and on the field, and eventually earned his first Test cap in the first Test against South Africa at Centurion on Boxing Day. He capped a memorable debut by picking up four South African wickets, including that of top scorer Faf du Plessis for 199 and scored his maiden Test half-century in the process. A lot will be heard from this extraordinarily talented young cricketer in the future, who, if handled properly, could prove to be a match-winner for his country in all three formats.

The year ended on a disappointing note for former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, who had shown signs of recovery from the beginning of the year from his recurring hamstring and calf injuries, only to be laid low towards the tail end of the LPL that saw him miss another tour to South Africa.