25 November 2009
“They have to get used to playing longer innings. Also I believe sometimes the technique changes, the basics of cricket. For countries who are trying to get ODI (One-day International) status, 50-over is the most important thing,” Dias, 57, one of the most technically correct batsmen and best cover fielders Sri Lanka has produced.
Nepal under his guidance have made remarkable especially in the junior age groups. They were Plate runners-up at the Under 19 World Cup in 2002, beating Pakistan and Bangladesh before losing in the final to Zimbabwe.
They won the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Youth Asia Cup in Karachi and qualified for the Under 19 World Cup in 2004, and memorably beat South Africa and New Zealand to lift the Plate Championship in Sri Lanka in 2006. ‘We won the Under 15 and Under 17 tournaments fours times in a row and qualified for four Under 19 World Cups and entered the Plate final thrice,” said Dias who qualified as a Cricket Australia Level III coach when the ACC conducted it and also passed the Level IV course of the English board prior to that in Sri Lanka.
But Dias has not been able to convert this age group success into the national senior level attributing it to lack of infrastructure and regular competitions. “There is plenty of talent but no infrastructure for school cricket and not much of club cricket. They have six regions and whenever there is a national tournament in Kathmandu, I pick about 30 players for the training camp and from that pick the 14,” said Dias who served as a National Selection panel of Sri Lanka for five years.
However, he believes cricket has overtaken football in the popularity stakes because of their results at junior level. cricket has taken over. “We have one good ground with practice facilities. Only thing is they don’t have major tournaments. For them to come up, they have to go outside and play lot of cricket. They have to get the exposure,” he said.
Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have helped whenever there is a tour. Before coming for this tournament they were hosted by New Delhi Cricket Association.
Dias, who runs his own cricket school in Colombo for the past 20 years, also yearns to go back to his roots when his contract expires in March next year. “I like to go back to Sri Lanka. That’s where I learnt my cricket and started my coaching. If Sri Lanka needs my services I will definitely be there for them,” said the soft spoken Dias who coached the national team during the 1999 World Cup.
One of the game’s puritans, Dias is of the opinion that Test cricket will stand the challenges posed by the Twenty20 version. “The tradition is Test cricket, then the one-dayers. Twenty20 is to attract crowds and also sponsors,” said Dias who treasures the back to back centuries he scored during a tour of India.
“In Twenty20 you have to innovate shots and there are less dot balls. In Test cricket it’s a different ball game. You have to start leaving the ball and pick the correct ball. Also defensive play is no more,” said Dias who formed the backbone of the team when Sri Lanka achieved Test status in 1982 being an experienced first-class cricketer at the time.
He has pleasant memories of Sharjah Cricket Stadium having won the man of the match award with an unbeaten knock of 69 against Pakistan in 1984. He rates the three centuries he got against “some quality bowlers” against India, Pakistan and New Zealand as the high point of his career. “The other innings I remember is Sri Lanka’s second Test ever in Chennai in which I got 97,” recalled Dias.
“It is difficult to compare because when we started there were less Test matches, less tours. But nowadays guys are playing plenty of cricket. It’s good in one way but for how long is a question,” said Dias who represented Sri Lanka in just 20 Tests but played till he was 39.
“It’s very difficult for these guys to go on till 39-40 with some exceptions because fitness is very important and there is plenty of one-day cricket being played. There comes a stage when your body can’t take it anymore,” added Dias who stroked 80 in a losing cause against England during the 1987 World Cup in the last of his 58 ODIs for the country.
“It’s a good thing for cricketers as well because now it is a profession. I think they deserve whatever they are getting, no doubt about it because they work hard for that day in day out. Being away from families is not an easy thing,” remarked one of the most elegant batsmen and gentlemen the game has seen.
