The current plight of Sri Lankan cricket is a result of systemic failures
The Sri Lankan cricket team seem to be on a perpetual expedition, looking for players who can replace legends like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
It's fair to say that it's been far too long for Sri Lanka to continue to claim that they're still reeling from major retirements and are in a 'transition' phase. They've had plenty of time to recover from those losses, build a new side and give youngsters enough experience. Instead, reckless administrations and shoddy tactics have combined to make Sri Lanka one of the least competitive Test-playing nations in recent times.
Nothing elucidates this better than the fact that no team have handed out more debuts than Sri Lanka since the 2015 ODI World Cup. The Lankans have been picking and dropping players ineptly, with not an iota of consideration for the concept of team-building. Captains are appointed and then asked to step down at the drop of a hat. If chopping and changing players and captains weren't enough, the coach's position, too, changes quite regularly.
One suspects that the growing influence of the Sri Lankan sports minister might have something to do with most of the issues. The youngsters are clearly far too inexperienced, but more bafflingly, they've decided to sidestep senior players like Dinesh Chandimal and Lasith Malinga when the T20 World Cup is only a few months away.
The result of such faulty decision-making was on display in the recently concluded limited-overs series against England, with Sri Lanka losing five of the six matches across T20I and ODI formats. They didn't lose the sixth game because it was washed out.
The Lankans barely looked like they had the slightest chance of winning any game on the tour. To make matters worse and stretch the limits of what can be defined as 'chaotic', three of their players were caught breaching the bio-bubble created for the series. The trio - Kushal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka - have been temporarily banned. But they could get a minimum one-year suspension if found guilty by a five-member committee who will be investigating the case.
Add to all of it the small matter of a contract dispute between the board and the players, and 'chaotic' doesn't even begin to describe the extent of the disorder Sri Lankan cricket is in.
What's next for Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka will next play India in a limited-overs series comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.
Heading into the home series, Sri Lanka have some positives to hold on to. There is every reason to believe that Tom Moody, as the director of cricket, and Mickey Arthur, as the head coach, can bring about the requisite discipline that the team needs, provided they're allowed to keep their jobs for long enough.
As mentioned, there has been an influx of youngsters, and if the coach's words are anything to go by, they will be backed sufficiently. Of course, this sentiment could change any day, we're talking about Sri Lankan cricket here, but for now it's a relief to hear that.
While the batting was abysmal, their bowling against England did provide a spark of hope for the Sri Lankan fans. Dushmantha Chameera, the right-arm fast bowler, will have to stay fit and shoulder a large portion of the responsibility with the ball if they want to start competing. Binura Fernando, too, has been impressive with his left-arm angle and extra bounce. Wanindu Hasaranga, the leg spinner, has often found himself being the only threat to the opposition's batting order, but it seems like he'll have more support now.
As expected, Mickey Arthur has pushed the players to work on their fitness standards and fielding, and the results are starting to show. They may not have become one of the best fielding units in the world overnight, but they're showing promising signs. Another positive factor is the form of all-rounders like Dasun Shanaka and Hasaranga, who should be able to provide the team with much needed balance.
Sri Lanka need to find ways to develop their young batsmen quickly and keep their bowlers fit. Otherwise, frighteningly so, we may not have seen the worst of Sri Lanka's fortunes.