Sri Lanka have too much talent to plunge; Amla unsuited to captaincy — cricket talking points

Osman Samiuddin offers his thoughts on the biggest talking points from the world of cricket.

Hashim Amla rediscovered a much-needed return to form with the bat during the second Test against England. Gianluigi Guercia / AFP

Talking points

Sri Lankan reality

Nine international matches, seven losses and one no result; on results alone, Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand is about as abysmal as can be. When you factor in the nature of some of the losses, it starts to look even worse.

In the first ODI the hosts chased down their target in 21 overs; in the second, they did so in 8.1 overs; in the last Twenty20, New Zealand had the game finished after 10 overs. It is safe to say Sri Lanka’s post-Jayawardene and Sangakkara pains have well and truly begun.

They are still not likely to plunge as much as the West Indies have, however. There is still too much talent coming out of the island for that to be the case. Dushmantha Chameera, for one, is a ridiculously exciting, and quick, fast bowling prospect. Dinesh Chandimal’s return to form may also be a vital development for a tough year ahead, with tours to England and South Africa next year.

Amla steps down

Has there been an international captain in recent years who has looked more unsuited to captaincy than Hashim Amla? Or, at least, a more reluctant leader?

Mid-series changes are never ideal, but few will argue that what Amla has done will not help South Africa. Not only has his batting suffered while he led the Test side, but he has often come across as a stridently conservative captain.

Sure he was not helped by injuries to important players and by having to handle the permanently difficult quota issue, but Amla rarely came across as the kind of strong personality a team like South Africa responds to.

What they could really do with is some of his form and that, happily, looks to be returning; the double hundred in Cape Town was pure Amla. South Africa’s problem, however, is that the captaincy has now gone to a man who was upset by missing out initially and whose Test future is not completely certain. And they can ill afford for leadership to weigh down AB de Villiers’s batting.

One thousand and nine

In the context of “Daddy Hundreds” where does 1,009 rank? That was the individual score made by Pranav Dhanawade last week, a 15-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman in a Mumbai school game.

Dhanawade’s epic knock, off just 327 deliveries is believed to be the highest score in minor cricket. The Mumbai Cricket Association has awarded him a five-year scholarship, in which he will receive Rs10,000 (Dh549) a month.

Such was the statistical magnitude of the feat, news of it went viral almost immediately. Sachin Tendulkar tweeted appreciation. MS Dhoni was offering sagely caution, against the inevitable hype.

“To score like that anywhere in the world, in those conditions, is very difficult,” Dhoni said. “Not to forget the age of the individual. We need to nurture him, guide him, because all of a sudden the limelight will be on him.” That the opposition were bowled out for 31 and 52, to lose by an innings and 1,382 runs, might, however, place some perspective on the feat.

Review

Last week

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe ODI series

≥ 3rd ODI Zimbabwe won by 65 runs

≥ 4th ODI Afghanistan won by two wickets

≥ 5th ODI Afghanistan won by 5 runs (win series 3-2)

New Zealand v Sri Lanka

≥ 5th ODI New Zealand won by 36 runs (winning series 3-1)

New Zealand v Sri Lanka Twenty20 series

≥ 1st T20 New Zealand won by 3 runs

≥ 2nd T20 New Zealand won by 9 wickets (win the series 2-0)

Australia v West Indies Test series

≥ 3rd Test Match drawn (Australia win series 2-0)

South Africa v England Test series

≥ Second Test Match drawn (England lead series 1-0)

Player of the week

Hashim Amla

≥ On the basis that Ben Stokes has a longer career ahead of him in which he will produce more innings such as his double hundred last week, the award this week goes to Hashim Amla. His double was an entirely different beast, but it may be the innings that helps South Africa rediscover its confidence, after months of being bashed. His resignation as captain may help them even more.

Game of the week

≥ Among all the international series currently on display, the one garnering the least attention has easily been the best. Afghanistan’s ODI series win over Zimbabwe is a massive result, made all the more memorable by the manner in which it was sealed. Gulbadin hit a four and a six in the fifth ODI’s last over at Sharjah to seal a thrilling two-wicket win.

This week

Australia vs India ODI series

1st ODI Tuesday

2nd ODI Friday

South Africa v England Test series

3rd Test From Thursday

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe Twenty20 series

1st T20 Friday

South Africa v England Test series

3rd Test From Thursday

New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 series

1st T20 Friday

≥ The world’s top two-ranked sides begin a big series down under from Tuesday. Though New Zealand were sturdy, Australia’s winter has been a fairly straightforward one. The 2011 world cup winners, however, will provide much stiffer opposition over the course of five ODIs.

Players to watch

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers

Mohammed Amir will bowl his first ball in international cricket in over five years when he turns up for Pakistan in the opening Twenty20 game against New Zealand on Friday. He has been impressive at every stage of his ongoing return thus far, but this will be the ultimate test of where he is. It is a big moment for world cricket.

Stat of the week

152.7

That is Martin Guptill’s combined strike rate across the ODI and Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka. The latest in this whirlwind was a 25-ball 63 that propelled New Zealand to a win in ten overs in the second T20.