Sri Lanka rests provides chance of revival

Sri Lanka's cricketers are enjoying a long overdue four-month break from international action after two years of nonstop cricket. When the team next steps out onto a field it will be against a rejuvenated England one-day side at Dambulla in November.

Apart from allowing the players a much-needed chance to rest and refresh, the break marks the start of a new era as John Dyson, the new coach from Australia, begins a two-year term. He will settle in Colombo from August and start the process of pushing a talented but frustratingly inconsistent team forward.

After reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup, Sri Lanka's form dipped and success dried up. There were one-day defeats at Sharjah and during the Bank Alfalah Cup, as well as a dreary performance during the drawn home series against New Zealand and a lost two-Test series against the West Indies. Were it not from the unexpected heroics of Upul Chandana at Bridgetown, which allowed Sri Lanka to clinch the one-day series, the team would officially be in crisis.

Fans will be hoping that the rare and welcome chance to rest will itself be enough to usher in a new competitiveness during another congested and tough year in 2003/4 that includes two Australia series, home and away, as well as home tours against England and South Africa.

It had become increasingly obvious during recent months that several players were exhausted. Turned into factory cricketers by the never-ending touring, the players had been distanced from family and friends for too long. Minds were turned stale and the cutting edge was lost. Come November their batteries should have been recharged and their hunger restored.

Physically, too, they suffered. The constant stream of matches meant there was too little time for fitness training. The players lost shape - one possible explanation for the spilled catches and momentary concentration lapses that cost the batsmen dear - and niggling injuries stacked up. A new fitness trainer is to be appointed to work alongside the physio and his job will be to ensure that everyone is in peak condition by November.

But a good rest will not be enough turnaround Sri Lanka's fortunes. First and foremost they must shed the creeping negativity that has so shackled their cricket in recent times. Confidence has plummeted and the ebullient natural strokeplayers have become stilted and unsure. Dyson, highly qualified in the field of sports science and psychology, needs to inject fresh positivity into the dressing room and nurture greater self-belief.

That assumes though that he gains sufficient respect from the players, some of who may be suspicious of his lack of coaching experience (his highest position beforehand had been as assistant coach of New South Wales), as well the necessary support from the cricket board. It's essential that he be given extra clout, in selection and team policy, to implement his ideas and influence team decision-making.

Dyson chances of putting Sri Lanka back on track will be helped by an end to the experiment with two captains. Hashan Tillakaratne's caretaker period in charge has been disappointing with three draws and a loss against mid-table opposition. His safety-first approach has hampered the team's progress, especially during the New Zealand series where Sri Lanka lacked the killer instinct to ram home their home advantage.

Marvan Atapattu, a more adventurous leader, has impressed sufficiently with the one-day side to take over the Test captaincy burden too. His batting form has not suffered and his eagerness for the extra responsibility is plain to see. But whether the selectors, who appear less convinced about his credentials, are prepared to back him completely remains to be seen.

They must. Only with strong and imaginative leadership from a secure captain and coach will Sri Lanka be able to make the most of their summer break and climb back up the Test and ODI rankings. After a period of interim control, stagnation and disappointment, Sri Lanka now have a chance to move forward again - let's hope that they are able to grasp this opportunity.