Bayliss needs to keep tempo going

Australian Trevor Bayliss will be hoping to carry on the good work done by Tom Moody when he takes over as Sri Lanka’s coach shortly.

Luckily for Bayliss, Moody has left behind a legacy which will make his task easier. Sri Lanka, during Moody’s reign, have become one of the top teams in both Test and one-day cricket.
Lanka now stand third in the Test ratings and fifth in one-dayers. This can be attributed to the dynamism of the team and the forward thinking policies of the Lankan board.
A few years ago, the Lankan cricket set-up was not ideal. There were suspicions that the board was corrupt and uncaring. The team was fragmented and selections mystifying. Moody, however, changed that by forging a harmonious relationship with the board and the players. He also built unity and imposed self-belief among the players and the impact has been felt.
Today, the Lankan board has become very receptive to new ideas and the team has a positive outlook on the field.
Bayliss needs to assure that these basic settings remain the same at the start before trying to take Lankan cricket to another level.
Bayliss has admitted that he is a practical man and this makes his task easier. He must continue the strong line which Moody took with both the players and the board.
Lanka are on the threshold of big things currently. Their biggest test will come when they tour Australia in November and then take on England at home in December.
These two teams are the number one and two in the Test rankings and a good showing against them will enhance the image of Lankan cricket even further.
The best thing that has happened to Lankan cricket is the appointment of Mahela Jayawardene as captain. Since he took over as captain from the injured Marvan Atapattu for the England tour in 2006, Lankan cricket has prospered like it did during the World Cup triumph in 1996.
Jayawardene has brought a positive outlook to Lanka cricket which was sorely missing for a long time. Along with Moody, he also made his players believe in themselves and in their talent.
The transformation was witnessed in his first tour itself when Lanka thrashed England 5-0 in the one-day series.
Importantly, he gave immense respect to seniors like Sanath Jayasuriya, Muthiah Muralitharan and Chamida Vaas and this paid off handsomely. Egos were left behind for the team cause and unity became the order of the day.
Jayawardene also lifted his batting to a higher level along with the captaincy and has now become a heavy scorer in both forms of the game. His Test career average is now 52.69 and his one-day strike rate remains at a healthy 76.93.
His friendly rivalry with his deputy Kumar Sangakkara has proved beneficial for both and the team, with the latter back to his big scoring ways again.
The champion of Lankan cricket still remains Muralitharan. He seems to be bowling better than ever with age and with 700 wickets under his belt, he may even become the first man to take 1,000 wickets.
It is hoped that the Australian cricket fans give this bowler the respect he deserves as this could be his final tour Down Under.
The exciting Lasith Malinga is on course to be the main strike bowler in the future.
With his slinging action and weird hairdos, Malinga is a character who loves to take centre stage. He has also been backing his immense talent with good performances recently.
Vaas continues to be the spearhead. Though his pace has dropped considerably, his skills remain. Vaas got his maiden century against Bangladesh to add to his growing stature as a genuine all-rounder.
Dilhara Fernando is another bowler who seems to be coming into his own now. Plagued with no-ball problems through out his career, Fernando has worked hard to iron out the faults.
There are many promising youngsters like Farvez Mahroof and Malinga Bandara waiting in the wings to grab a chance.
This is a healthy state of affairs for Lankan cricket.
Both Jayawardene and Moody and now Bayliss are keen to give the younger players a chance. With an improved cricket structure, a lot of young talent is emerging in the country.
There is a sense of optimism in the Lankan camp currently. By the end of the year, the world may herald a new era in cricket.

By Babu Kalyanpur
babu.kallianpur@tradearabia.net