Back again in Colombo for more of the same

Since then politics and often erratic selection policies have created a problem for the game. The current rumblings are a typical example of the game being used not so much as political pawn but oversized football.

During the last five years there have been two interims committees and the jailing of a president, Thilanga Sumathipala, on a variety of non-bailable offences last January has created a serious credibility problem for Cricket Sri Lanka. Securing new sponsorship deals has been one of the victims of the aftermath of what happened eight years ago in Lahore, where Ranatunga led Sri Lanka to a comfortable World Cup final over Australia. Sri Lanka went into World Cup ’99 with a seriously misguided puffed up attitude. Having thrashed England in a one-off Test at The Oval the previous August and playing in the final of the Emirates Trophy after overwhelming South Africa gave Ranatunga and the Sri Lanka brainstrust an overblown view of their potential.

Between Lahore 1996 and The Oval 1998, Sri Lanka had managed to survive on the ability of self-belief, Ranatunga’s magic, the silky batting talents of Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya and the bowling of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan.

But the cracks were visible for those looking close enough at the plasterwork. Whatmore had gone and the view was that Sri Lanka were not in need of his expertise. By the time they were blown out of the 1999 World Cup, in the preliminary round, serious questions were being asked. As Wettimuny said in an interview, ‘‘The team has lost focus and with it its identity. The system is in need of a shake up if we are to survive’’.

A forward thinking man with an idea of where the game was heading, he saw the need for a change in leadership as well as coach and management support. ‘‘You do not make changes for the sake of a cosmetic appearance unless you have a set plan and this is where we did not take into account how the game had moved forward’’, he said.

Controversy surrounding the axing of Ranatunga and De Silva seven weeks before a triangular series in Sri Lanka involving the new-look Sri Lanka as well as the new World Cup champions, Australia and India still under the leadership of Sachin Tendulkar was a test of this policy.

Wettimuny and his panel, which included Asantha de Mel, convener of the new selection committee, at least had an idea of where they wanted to take Sri Lanka. That was out of the Ranatunga-created quagmire and into something that would at least restore local confidence after the humiliation of World Cup 1999.

Whatmore was brought back as coach and the triangular series did more than had been hoped. Sri Lanka won the final and the Test series and did much to restore the bruised ego. The problem was, the success of the side in 2000 and 2001 did not allow for the natural progress of leadership.

More recently there was the split in the captaincy leadership policy with Hashan Tillekeratne and Marvan Atapattu, said to satisfy the politics within the system. Now that Atapattu has been appointed as captain for the limited overs as well as Tests, it could be a more settled side.

Alarmingly, however, the new minister of sport, former film star Jeevan Kamaratunga has appointed seven selectors and in this Ranatunga’s hand could be seen. Having lost the presidency vote last year he might be wielding the power in Maitland Place with the help of the sports ministry.