Change is the only constant. But change for the sake of it seldom does any good. Sri Lanka are planning for the 2019 World Cup.
And according to them, veteran opener Tillakaratne Dilshan does not fit into those plans. So they asked Dilshan to hurry up and hang up his boots.
The 39-year-old had his hands tied and decided to retire from limited overs cricket at the end of the series against Australia.
We have been here before. Ageing superstars are asked to make way for younger players in a respectable manner and they oblige.
Generally, it is brought on by a prolonged slump in form and no hope of any sudden burst of performance. But Dilshan is no out-of-form player.
The opener has been the most consistent limited overs cricketer for Sri Lanka over the last three years. In ODIs his statistics are superb: 1,160 runs in 25 matches at an average of 61.05 (2013); 990 runs in 25 games at 41.25 (2014); and 1,207 runs from 25 matches averaging 52.47 (2015).
In T20s, he has been in good nick as well: in 2013, he amassed 219 runs from seven games (43.80 average); 149 from nine games in 2014 (average 18.62); 124 from four games in 2015 (average 31); and this year scored 294 runs from 12 matches at a shade under 30.
What’s more, he was the top scorer for his country at the World T20, scoring 133 runs in four matches.
Though he is 39, Dilshan is one of the fittest players in the side and on paper, there is simply no justification for him being made to step aside. He is being asked to go because he will be 42 during the next World Cup.
A fitting farewell! Tillakaratne Dilshan salutes a packed stadium after his final ODI innings #ThankYouDilshan pic.twitter.com/PrQAqcEvOY
— ICC (@ICC) August 28, 2016
Being 42 in itself is not a drawback, especially in limited overs cricket. Australian chinaman Brad Hogg retired, became a commentator and then came back to the national team at the age of 40. In fact, experienced and fit players are a big plus in any side. A bunch of young players might look good on TV but they can buckle under pressure.
It’s not as if Sri Lanka are brimming with experience. Captain Angelo Mathews is one of the finest players across formats in the world at the moment while wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal has raised his game in limited overs cricket.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath is their most effective, and sometimes only, attacking option in Test. Apart from them, you are looking at players who are talented yet still looking to establish themselves on the international scene.
Herath is 38 and it is not known how long he will manage to represent Sri Lanka. However, since the islanders depend so hopelessly on him in Tests, I don’t think he will ever be told to leave. Sadly, while Dilshan has been excellent at the top of the order in limited overs cricket, he has not commanded such respect.
It’s a shame because Dilshan has some big numbers next to his name. He was the fourth Sri Lankan batsman to score 10,000 ODI runs, was a part of the 2014 World T20 winning team, featured in two 50-over World Cup finals and even captained the team to a Test win in South Africa.
The numbers show that Dilshan still has a lot to offer. Plus, he isn’t exactly keeping a talented player out of the team. It’s, frankly, a forced move which isn’t necessary at this point. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, then why fix it?
Dhoni a finisher no more? Mahendra Singh Dhoni will surely go down as one of the best limited overs cricketers of all time.
He instinctively understands the flow of white ball cricket and has therefore won it all, be it the 50 over World Cup, World T20 or the Champions Trophy.
Apart from his astute captaincy, it is his ability with the bat to finish off games that put him at par, or even above, Australia’s Michael Bevan who won numerous matches for the Baggy Green on his own.
Good Iuck to TM Dilshan playing his last ODI for SL. . What a champ he has been !!! pic.twitter.com/sfQ2aonJoq
— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69) August 28, 2016
However, things are not going according to plan for Dhoni of late. During the T20 match against Zimbabwe in June, Dhoni was on strike when eight runs were needed from the last over and failed to see his side home.
Then against the West Indies in Florida on Saturday, a high scoring T20 match reached a thrilling climax with two needed from the last ball. However, Dhoni could only spoon a slower one from Dwayne Bravo to short third man, handing the West Indies a one-run win.
After all the hard work put in during an epic run chase, eight runs from the final over didn’t look beyond the Indians with KL Rahul batting on 108 and Dhoni on 40. But the India captain just couldn’t do it. No doubt Bravo is a world class death bowler but on a flat track with two set batsmen, the match was almost in the bag for India. It wasn’t to be.
Such results add up and begin to sow seeds of doubt in the mind of players and management. The one aspect of the game that Dhoni had totally mastered is starting to slip and it will only put more pressure on Dhoni, who knows Virat Kohli is waiting in the wings to take over as captain.
