Can new selectors revive Sri Lanka cricket?

The Eran Wickremaratne-led Cricket Transformation Committee appointed a new set of selectors a few weeks ago under the leadership of Kapila Wijegunawardene, replacing the previous selection committee headed by controversial former Sri Lankan fast bowler Pramodya Wickremasinghe, as part of its efforts to overhaul the entire structural framework of the island’s most popular sport.

The removal of the previous selection committee is indeed a laudable move. 

Pramodya’s previous stint as Chairman of the Selection Committee from 2021 to 2023 was one of the worst periods for the island’s most popular sport, especially in terms of 50-over cricket. Because of his irrational, foolhardy, and impulsive choices and decisions, for the first time since becoming a full ICC member in 1982, the national side had to play in a qualifying competition to gain entry into the sport’s biggest tournament three years ago. His tenure was marked by indecisiveness, inconsistency, and chaos.

Meanwhile, the new Chief Selector, Kapila Wijegunawardene, is no stranger to the task, having briefly chaired the Selection Committee almost a decade ago. The other members of the committee include Amal Silva, Brendon Kuruppu, Waruna Waragoda, and Vanessa De Silva. Except for Waragoda and Vanessa, the other three committee members served as selectors in 2015 when the administrative body of the game was headed by an Interim Committee led by Sidath Wettimuny. Hence, it is apparent that the trio of 2015 selectors were nominated because the famous centurion at Lord’s, who is a member of the current Minister-appointed committee, has tremendous faith and confidence in them.

Many among the millennial and Gen Z generations may not have heard of Kapila Wijegunawardene the cricketer. The current Chief Selector played for Sri Lanka sporadically from 1987 to 1992. The period during which he represented the country was also an era when the national team had very limited exposure to international cricket. However, keen followers of Sri Lankan cricket still speak glowingly of his impressive feat of clean bowling Viv Richards, who is considered by some to be the finest batsman in the history of international cricket, at Rajkot during the Nehru Cup in 1989, helping the islanders defeat the mighty West Indies for the first time in ODI cricket.

After retiring from cricket, the former Sri Lankan fast bowler developed his skills beyond the game by focusing on his career as a business executive at the Maharaja Group. During his first stint as a selector, he was praised for introducing highly talented cricketers such as Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Danushka Gunathilaka to the national team. The Old Thomian is regarded as an individual blessed with the ability to identify natural talent, a skill not commonly found. Passionate Sri Lankan cricket fans will be fervently hoping that Wijegunawardene makes full use of his knack for identifying naturally talented cricketers.

Finally, one aspect that has contributed to the downfall of Sri Lankan cricket is the poor fitness of its cricketers. Players have been criticised for failing to maintain the requisite fitness standards needed to meet the demands of modern-day cricket. Too often, key players have been injured in the middle of international tournaments, thereby hurting the morale and strength of the team. The fitness and endurance levels of many national-level cricketers are quite poor compared to those of their counterparts in leading cricketing nations such as Australia and India. It is hoped that Wijegunawardene and his fellow selectors will prioritise fitness standards when selecting players for national squads, for the greater good of Sri Lankan cricket and to avoid a repetition of past failures.