Our Take: Sangakkara’s quit decision ill-timed

Sri Lanka Cricket will have much soul searching to do after their brand ambassador Kumar Sangakkara literally ditched the team just days after they were outplayed by India in the World Cup final.

Although Sangakkara had hinted to the selectors before the event that he would prefer to stand down after the World Cup, the timing of his announcement has to be questioned.

Firstly, Sri Lanka had not groomed a successor with former skipper Mahela Jayawardena served as his deputy during his two-year stint as captain.

Sangakkara cannot be faulted for the lack of foresightedness by the selection committee. In fact, Sangakkara has graciously offered to continue as Test captain for Sri Lanka’s tour of England in the summer during the interim period.

But in the wake of mounting speculation that Sri Lanka underperformed in the World Cup final going by the debate raging in our website, it will come as a bitter pill to swallow for supporters of the team.

Coming as it did just before Sangakkara embarked to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) which begins on Friday, it also gives rise to the notion that the lure of IPL is more attractive than carrying the burden of an expectant nation.

An elegant left-hand wicketkeeper batsman, Sangakkara has carried out his duties as Sri Lanka captain with aplomb both on and off the field since taking over the reins from his erstwhile colleague Jayawardena.

A qualified lawyer, Sangakkara has been one of the most articulate captains of his generation and relished the thrust and parry of competition, giving the Australians a taste of their own medicine when it came to sledging.

Winner of three runner-up World Cup medals, having led them to the final of the World T20 event, the high point of Sangakkara’s career was undoubtedly leading Sri Lanka to a historic series win in Australia.

Sangakkara himself feels there won’t be any leadership vacuum with the experienced Tillakaratne Dilshan and talented all-rounder Angelo Mathews being on the wings, with another Test veteran Thilan Samaraweera also being thrown up as a candidate.

But none of them would have the benefit of being prepared to take over the national captaincy like Sangakkara or his predecessors had.

Sri Lankan fans have expressed sadness at his decision to step down even toning down their criticism at the team’s failure to win the World Cup, urging him to reconsider.

“In the short stint of two years that he has been captain of Sri Lanka, he has done a fantastic job. I hope somebody is able to convince him to continue for some more time as he is a cricketer extraordinary and carries the team on his shoulders with outstanding performances and not to forget that he is an excellent speaker,” wrote Mohammed Lokhandhwala, honorary secretary of the Dubai Cricket Council, being one of the first to pay tribute to Sangakkara’s outstanding leadership qualities.

Many bloggers on the social network Facebook have virtually pleaded with him not to give up the captaincy at this crucial juncture in Sri Lanka cricket, though Sangakkara reasoned that he has done it for the future good of the team.

Perhaps it is a smart move to deflect criticism from the performance of the team particularly in the final against India, while the focus of most cricket fans will switch to the IPL circus which begins on Friday with Sangakkara himself leading the Deccan Chargers for the first time.

“The obsession with IPL is not something peculiar only to Sri Lankan cricketers. It applies to players of other countries as well,” said a Sri Lankan cricket analyst Channaka de Silva.

Mahela Jayawardena will be captain of the new Kochi Tuskers Kerala side while left hander opener Upul Tharanga was reportedly drafted on the eve of the World Cup final by defending champions Chennai Super Kings.

This begs the question whether players are becoming soft whenever they play against India debunking the myth that familiarity breeds contempt.

“The IPL has given India the mental confidence of winning. They have had better teams in the past with the likes of Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly but they have turned a corner in this World Cup and will be difficult to beat in future,” said de Silva who witnessed India’s World Cup triumph.

As for Sri Lanka’s performance, he expressed surprise that wholesale changes were made on the eve of the final and the slow start given by openers Dilshan and Tharanga. “They did not make the most important change – dropping Muralitharan who was not fit,” he said. Apart from this, he saw no reason to agree to the wild speculations of match fixing.

But for better or worse Sri Lanka Cricket is bracing itself for changes with a new set of office-bearers expected to take over the baton of guiding their fortunes in the future.

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