Captain Mali. Leading by unwitting example…

When the Sri Lankan media and public were getting on Lasith Malinga’s back I wrote this post,  https://ballhandling101.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/ye-of-little-faith/ [I don’t know how to embed shit, yet] which was also published on this website http://www.islandcricket.lk/opinion/editorial/32756030214.

Yesterday, when Malinga walked out to captain the game, he was not the obvious choice. Angelo Mathews is Sri Lanka captain in the other two formats and should have been a shoo in as captain. Dilshan is not in form, and not an option. One of Jayawardena or Sangakkara may have also been an option, before Malinga was considered. What prompted his appointment?

I don’t profess to know why the Slinga was picked as captain for this solitary game. Nor do I want to speculate. But that it was probably one of Sri Lanka’s best ever performances in the field, tactically, is not in doubt. The pitch was always going to be a factor even without the dew. NZ bowled well, but I thought missed a trick by not getting Nathan McCullum in the game a little earlier. While they hit the deck and were successful, Sri Lanka took the pace off and were even more successful. Both teams were anxiously watching England v Netherlands and took the index out of the Dutch book last night. It was a fantastic game of cricket.

Almost everyone on the field got it right. You can’t blame New Zealand too much as they were just outplayed by a wily spinner and nothing-to-lose captain in…wait for it…Mahela Jayawardena. 

When I wrote about Lasith Malinga, I said we should be be inspired by him. We should, because he knows that games like this don’t last forever. He also knows that whatever the media may say about him, it won’t change him as a human being, and therefore he shouldn’t care. I still think we need to follow Malinga’s philosophy in his approach to cricket. But more than anything else, yesterday, Mahela seemed to be inspired by Malinga too.

It is pretty much common consensus that Mahela has been our most impressive tactical captain. However, even during his reign there seemed to be a fear that hung over him, as was much more evident in some other former captains. There was the fear of reprisal in the form of personal attacks in newspapers, there was fear of public vilification based on a tactical decision that doesn’t come right, and a downright fear of losing. Nobody in Sri Lankan sport seems to realise that if winning is the reward, losing must certainly be the risk. Last night though, faced with the eventuality that this may be his last ever game for Sri Lanka in the T20 format, faced with the potential crowing that will follow from the media for an early exit, and faced with the consequences that might be compounded by  the retirement announcement saga, Mahela cut away all the safety lines, and shrugged off the shackles he has always felt he needs to wear. 

Inspired by his de jure skipper, he approached the game Malinga style.

How often have we seen a short leg and a slip in, all game? Almost never. But it happened, and it happened because this time, for Mahela and Kumar, there really was nothing to lose. And when Sri Lanka plays cricket like there’s nothing to lose, without that awful fear of failure [second innings Pakistan in UAE], we are brilliant. Without having to look over his shoulder at the press box, or the selection panel, or SLC, Mahela Jayawardena is brilliant. And in our national psyche of repression, we have managed to harness only 50% of his potential.

Malinga, on the other hand, has reached his potential because he doesn’t give a shit.

Mahela captains like Sanath and Aravdinda batted, or Malinga and Murali bowl. With instinct, self belief and backing the ability of themselves and the team. For me, watching yesterday’s game was a breath of fresh air. A blast to the 2007 era, where Sri Lanka really were a consistently champion outfit in limited over cricket. 

Towards the end, with the tension mounting, there wasn’t even lip service to Malinga’s status as skipper. Mahela was running the show. And THAT is why Malinga was appointed captain. Who did I don’t know, but it was a master stroke in hindsight. Because he is well aware of his limitations, and was able to put his mantle aside, and allow the best man to get on with the job. Malinga is not the sort to feel slighted or snubbed by Mahela’s taking of control. Anyone else in the team would be. Which is why Nasser Hussain got it horribly wrong when he said there were “no egos on the Sri Lankan team”. Bullshit, Nasser. Malinga is the only one without that destructive ego. And that is because he is secure in his ability, and realises that he is not who other people may think he is. It wasn’t “captaincy by committee”, it was captaincy by brilliance, by both Mahela and Malinga.

Faced with his interview post match, Lasith Malinga told Danny Morrison [who increasingly looks like he’s been drinking], that this was probably the best XI. I can’t rmember how exactly he said it, but he seemed to say that Herath is the best spinner and that Thirimanne should be in the side. It was a thinly veiled message. 

The take home from yesterday was this. You put the best people in the side, you let them each do what they’re best at, and Sri Lanka will be world beaters.

Why is that so hard to do?