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Tips on handling Brett Lee from the mat
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Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Asantha de Mel may have strayed on to bridge, but his heart still remains with cricket, says STAN RAYAN.
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FROM THE lawns of the Kottayam Club Annexe at Kumarakom, one could sit and gaze at the sea for hours. The passing houseboats, the gentle breeze and the swaying palm fronds offer a pleasant treat. For Asantha de Mel, Sri Lankan cricket's current Chairman of selectors and former fast bowler, it offered a nice break from the hectic life back home. Just the sort of place to unwind.
"It's lovely. Almost like some of the great seafront spots back home," said Asantha who was at Kumarakom the other day for the Sethubhandaman
Bridge Tournament featuring teams from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and host Kerala. And of course, in Kerala, with his wife Julia for company, he could forget his garment manufacturing business and the many matches to spot talent.
On Lankan quickies
A few years ago, Asantha spoke about the lack of fast bowlers who could win matches for his country. "Things are very different now. We have five or six good fast bowlers, including Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa and Dilhara Fernando, thanks to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai and the Sri Lankan academy. Some of the boys could be match-winners on their own. And we have a good bunch of spinners too like Upul Chandana (who took 10 wickets in the Test against Australia recently)," says the 45-year-old who had played 17 Tests for Sri Lanka. So much so, that Sri Lankan cricket has now realised that life would move on despite the shoulder injury to its star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, which is likely to keep the world record holder away from the game at least till December.
The recent Asia Cup triumph, the 5-0 drubbing of South Africa in the recent one-day series and a drawn Test against Australia are ample proof of Lanka's newfound confidence.
Lack of fast wickets
"Unfortunately, even now the pitches in Lanka are tailor-made for the spinners. They don't have enough bounce to suit the fast bowlers. That's why we were shown-up against England (in the Champions Trophy)," says Asantha who owns two garment factories in Colombo.
Pakistan new coach, South African Bob Woolmer had said recently that Indian batsmen struggle against fast-pitched deliveries. That they just can't hook. Australian pace ace Brett Lee exposed this weakness of the Indians at the World Cup in South Africa last year, forcing them to duck and weave.
Tips from Asantha
What does Asantha say? "That's the problem if you're used to slow pitches. But I think going back to matting wickets during training should help one overcome this problem. You get good bounce on matting wickets and it's a nice place to learn to hook, cut and pull. If fact, we should encourage youngsters to play on matting," says Asantha, who was in the team when Lanka made its Test debut in 1982.
Asantha, who took up bridge in 1989 after he quit cricket, has had a taste of the best and the worst at the Worlds. At the 1993 World Cup in England, he was among the best bowlers with 17 wickets (India won its maiden World Cup that year and Roger Binny, with 18 wickets, was the top bowler).
Viv on a rampage
The Sri Lankan was at the wrong end at the next World Cup in Pakistan when West Indian Viv Richards went on a rampage, hammering 181 from just 125 balls with 16 fours and seven sixes. Asantha bore the brunt of that onslaught, conceding 97 from 10 overs (it holds the record for the most uneconomical 10 overs bowled in a World Cup).
"I still remember that match very clearly. He was in the best of form. It was his day. And a bad one for me," says the former fast bowler, who heads the seven-member national selection committee back home. "The committee is big I know but we can put across a wide range of views," he opined.
Asantha, who has represented Sri Lanka in bridge internationals including the Middle-East Asian Championship, was in the triumphant team at the Kumarakom tournament too. After all the cricketing action, for sure he has found his bridge to a quieter world.
Photo by Stan Rayan
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