Elmo Rodrigopulle: Mike Atherton on the block? (14 Aug 1997)

Thursday 14, August 1997

Mike Atherton on the block?

By Elmo Rodrigopulle

The English cricketers have got lambasted allround, especially from their media which has called them names and asked for the replacing of skipper Mike Atherton after conceding the ashes to Australia five times in a row.

English cricket in recent times has hit the bottom of the tunnel and there is sweet nothing that the cricketers or the administrators could do to bring them to their pristine glory when they had some of the finest cricketers the world has ever known.

NO NATURAL TALENT

What is wrong with English cricket today is that no natural talent is surfacing. True the administrators are doing everything and much more to resurrect their cricket, but unless natural talent crops up, we are afraid their cricket will continue to languish.

It is a sorry sight when one considers the fact that it was the Englishmen who gave the game to the world. While they introduced the game to the world, now other countries have to show and teach them how to play.

The Englishmen had a disastrous tour of Zimbabwe, but redeemed some prestige against the New Zealanders. The mediocre success in NZ made the English feel that they were the top dogs of world cricket and after this success, the cry was: Bring on the world champions Aussies. We can beat them.

True they won the first three one-dayers and the First Test. But that success was only a flash in the pan. The Aussies who started in a shocking manner, gathered themselves and admirably led by Mark Taylor have rubbed the English into the Lords' dust.

When the Aussies started losing and with Taylor in poor form, former great Aussie captains such as Bob Simpson, Ian and Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee and some other lesser known cricketers were howling for his removal.

But Taylor showed that he is made of sterner stuff. Although his batting has not been what it should be, he has guided and marshalled his men with great character and they have completely outplayed the Englishmen.

DROP IN STANDARDS

England has always been refusing to give the Sri Lankans more than the one-off test match. With their cricket standards dropping, the Sri Lankans will not be faulted if they refuse to play the Englishmen saying that their cricket is not up to Sri Lankan standards.

It won't also come as a surprise if other test playing countries refuse England a full five test series. As their cricket now stands, even a three test series will be a waste of time and money.

In the meantime, it was reminiscent of the sour grapes to hear that Shane Warne has taken Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga to task in his book: `MY OWN WORDS'.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Warne says in his book that the main reason he does not like Ranatunga is because he continually interrupts play to ask for new gloves, a drink, a jumper, a new bat, another new pair of gloves and so on.

Although Warne has made these puerile excuses, the fact remains that Ranatunga called him an ordinary bowler. And Ranatunga went on to prove this by carting him all over the ground in the World Cup final.

First, it was Ian Healy who was uncharitable to the Ranatunga family in his book and now comes the Warne episode.

Anyway, as for the Ranatungas they are not worried. They have no time for this idle gossip.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)