I decided not to apply for the post of Head Coach, Sri Lanka
Cricket. Apart from my obvious lack of qualifications, there still lingers a
faint hope that the Sri Lankan administration will carry out at least this
appointment with some sense of credibility, with the onus on improving Cricket
in Sri Lanka.
The coaches who left in the recent past, have all left with feelings
of frustration and anger. Tom Moody was the last coach to leave with sunny
beaches and friendly natives on his mind. The likes of Trevor Bayliss and Stuart
Law (and maybe Graham Ford) left/leaves unhappily due to the incompetent and
autocratic nature of the SLC administration.
Hence, this begs the question, who should be the next head
coach. As I write, there are six applicants, none of whom that posses a sound
set of credentials.
In my mind, there is only one man with the qualifications
and has the respect of the whole Cricketing world to be appointed to the post:
Aravinda de Silva.
Technically sound, with an abundance of talent, no one can
dispute the mastery of the man. In terms of talent, de Silva is probably the
best that Sri Lanka has ever produced.
 |
| Pure class! |
To add to Aravinda's resume, during the past few years, he has been
extensively involved in conducting coaching camps all over the island for
young, budding Cricketers. No other superstar cricketer in Sri Lanka, from the
recent era, has given back so much to the game.
De Silva's brief stint as chief selector displayed the man's
solid character and integrity. While there may be some criticisms about his
selections, no one can doubt the complete transparency of those decisions.
To summarize, Aravinda de Silva is top draw when it comes to
Cricketing talent. Hence, there is no doubt that he has an abundance of skill
to impart on the current crop of Cricketers.
He's played at the highest levels as well as at the most
important moments in Sri Lankan Cricket. He's been there; he knows how to
handle any situation.
As for Aravinda's character, it is a rare sight these days,
in times of corruption and political influences a man who encompasses the
respect of the whole Cricketing world.
Let’s hope that Sri Lanka Cricket does not make me
regret missing a tea time anecdote about how I applied for the post of Head
Coach Sri Lanka Cricket.
