Sports
Losing the focus for rugby in South Korea
By a Special Sports Correspondent
Sri Lanka’s sports have been disgraced of recent due to unpardonable events that took place in Australia and South Korea. First we got to hear about cricketer Dhanuhska Gunatilake’s issue where it’s alleged that he sexually assaulted a woman in Australia. In the incident that took place in South Korea a few days later the captain of the Sri Lanka women’s national rugby team went missing after the final day of matches.
Gunathilake’s incident is now being contested in a court of law and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is standing firm beside the player and offering him all the legal support to clear himself from the challenges he faces.
But where the female rugby player is concerned a national player going missing while on national duty amounts to a breach of trust or responsibility. Why? Because taking the players overseas for a tournament is a big investment from the side of SLR; hence the need for all the players to return home after the national assignment concludes.
This writer remembers a former Sri Lankan swimming champion being told very firmly by the Australian Embassy officials when he went to get his passport authorized that having returned to Sri Lanka during previous tours ‘down under’ was nothing to brag about. “You must return to Sri Lanka after your assignment in Australia and don’t consider it an achievement to return to base just because people do decamp” the official had underscored.
The player who went missing must understand that SLR invests on players when they pay for their training, book air tickets and incur other expenses when assembling a team to contest an overseas tournament. Most national players in the past have come from less affluent backgrounds and earned a better life through sport. Didn’t this female rugby player see this path?
Her incident could be the first of its kind where a Sri Lankan rugby player, regardless of being male or female and belonging to any age group or team going missing abroad after the completion of a tournament.
SLR is yet to release a comprehensive statement regarding this female player. The news associated with her is more about this player going missing and certainly not decamping. We also read in the media that the team management had lodged a complaint with the South Korean Police about the player going missing.
It’s interesting to find out the thoughts that preoccupied her mind during the tour because she had played in the matches and later showed up at a press conference after her team lost in the ‘Plate’ Championship final. Hence we are made to understand that she was in a good frame of mind to carry herself in public as a national ‘sportstar’ even after the tournament. That also meant she also wanted to be part of the team and be associated with the rest of the team members after the games. That also points out to the player having a sense of belonging. Where did she go wrong then?
There is one hitch though. Sri Lanka this time around contested under the National Olympic Committee flag and not the country’s flag. This was because Asia Rugby has suspended SLR. It’s interesting to locate the female player and inquire whether she had feelings of representing the country?
This is not the first time that Sri Lankan sports personalities have gone missing while touring abroad. We remember the great cyclist Boniface Perera decamping on his way back from an overseas assignment. Some of the other sports which are associated with decamping incidents- featuring Sri Lankan players- in the past are wrestling, boxing, beach volleyball and judo. Then there was that infamous incident when an entire handball team from Sri Lanka went missing after contesting a tournament in Germany. The Sri Lankan players did decamp when the economic situation back home was much healthier compared to what it is at present.
Sportsmen and women not only here but elsewhere in the world love fantasy. There are so many of them who have worked hard at junior level and earned their passage to immigrate on their performances alone. There are many examples of sports stars moving away from their fantasies and embracing reality later on. All over the world great performances at sport at junior level facilitates the legal immigration process. One such great champion was body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger who emigrated from Austria and settled down in America; going to be seven time winner of the most prestigious physique contest the Mr. Olympia. He also became the Governor of California.
When the rugby teams from Sri Lanka went to Incheon, South Korea there was a huge goal set for the men’s team; which was to finish among the top four. The Sri Lanka men’s team finished fourth after losing in the Cup semi-finals and then contesting the 3rd place playoff against Philippines. In that last match the Sri Lankans lost badly with a score of 7 points against 24 by the opponents. We really don’t know what goal the management had set for the women players compared to the male players. Most of these male players are club players back home and have contracts with clubs which offer them a monthly remuneration during the domestic league, knockout and ‘sevens’ tournaments. The men’s league rugby tournament is about to kick off and it’s safe to think that the male players were eager to get back home. But what can we say about the female rugby players? What is the future they have in a Sri Lankan rugby set-up where they get such little exposure as featuring in an annual domestic sevens tournament and an appearance or two at the annual Asian Sevens Series? A few of these players might have lucrative contracts with forces teams, but does that talk much compared to the exposure that Sri Lankan men’s players get here and abroad? This female players is also from a country where its economy has crashed. Did the circumstances put the impetus on Sri Lanka women’s captain to go missing in South Korea and later seek employment; South Korea being a country where many of her country’s men and women have come before her to seek greener pastures and have something to show for their trouble and effort.
Only time will produce answers to these questions. This jolting incident has taken place when Sri Lanka is preparing for the final leg of the same Asian Sevens Rugby Series-this time in Dubai-and the upcoming domestic league rugby tournament.
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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