{"id":83407,"date":"2022-01-06T05:29:10","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T05:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=83407"},"modified":"2022-01-06T05:32:10","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T05:32:10","slug":"russel-arnold-sri-lankas-forgotten-odi-star-by-michael-roberts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/russel-arnold-sri-lankas-forgotten-odi-star-by-michael-roberts\/","title":{"rendered":"Russel Arnold: Sri Lanka\u2019s Forgotten ODI Star By Michael Roberts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russel Arnold: Sri Lanka\u2019s Forgotten ODI Star By Michael Roberts<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Russel<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:<\/span>cricketique.live<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

During the course of the World Cup 2015 watchers were occasionally served up statistical tables of leading run-scores in the history of World Cup or ODI cricket. Sri Lankan fans would have been especially attentive to those featuring Sangakkara\u2019s stellar career and record breaking levels. On one such occasion I was intrigued to see Russel Arnold\u2019s statistics appear at the tail-end of an august list of names.<\/span><\/p>\n

Primed by Arnold\u2019s appearance as a TV commentator and his\u00a0impeccable performance in this role<\/a>, I proceeded to do some research on the topic and began with a statistical picture of a comparative kind that is quite revelatory. This picture raises issues about media-hype and our very own memory banks.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Russel
Sanath and Aravinda in earnest conversation at practice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

It would be fair to say that the batsmen stars in the ODI memory store of Sri Lankan cricket enthusiasts over the last twenty years are Aravinda De Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya and Arjuna Ranatunga from the older cohort and Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and TM Dilshan from the present over-30\u2019s layer. So it is that the Wikipedia entry on the \u201cSri Lankan national team\u201d runs thus:<\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s national cricket team achieved considerable success beginning in the 1990s, rising from\u00a0underdog<\/a>\u00a0status to winning the\u00a0Cricket World Cup<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a01996<\/a>. Since then, the team has continued to be a force in international cricket. The Sri Lankan cricket team reached the finals of the\u00a02007<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a02011<\/a>\u00a0Cricket World Cups<\/a>\u00a0consecutively. But they ended up being runners up in both those occasions.[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0The batting of\u00a0Sanath Jayasuriya<\/a>,\u00a0Aravinda de Silva<\/a>,\u00a0Mahela Jayawardene<\/a>,\u00a0Kumar Sangakkara<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tillakaratne Dilshan<\/a>\u00a0backed up by the bowling of\u00a0Muttiah Muralitharan<\/a>,\u00a0Chaminda Vaas<\/a>,\u00a0Lasith Malinga<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Ajantha Mendis<\/a>, among many other talented cricketers, has underpinned the successes of Sri Lankan cricket in the last two decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cricketing oldies who watched ODI matches in the 1990s and the early 2000s may also dwell occasionally on batsmen Asanka Gurusinha, Roshan Mahanama, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Hashan Tilakaratne because (1) of their role in some coruscating matches in the 1990s and (2) particularly their participation in the team performances that secured the World Cup in 1996.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, I conjecture that Russel Arnold (as well as Marvan Atapattu) would rarely figure in their retrospective thoughts on the giants among the batting group. So, he is a forgotten star in Lanka\u2019s ODI firmament. Statistical comparisons serve as the first step in my journey of recovery. They are revelatory.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a hors d\u2019oeuvre, let me indicate that in the\u00a0ODI averages<\/strong>\u00a0for Sri Lanka Arnold\u2019s 35.26 is more or less on par with Arjuna Ranatunga and fifth behind Sangakkara (41.96), Dilshan, Atapattu and Arjuna. It therefore falls into the 30-40 range like Dilshan, Atapattu, Arjuna, Aravinda, Sanath and Mahela. Thus his ODI average is better than, say, Sanath Jayasuriya\u2019s. In\u00a0ODI strike-rate<\/strong>\u00a0for Sri Lanka at 72.5 he is eighth in my selective pool and falls within the 70-80 range \u2014 a level below the heights reached by Jayasuriya (91.27), Dilshan (86.14) and Aravinda (81.13), but well above Asanka Gurusinha (60.92) and Hashan Tillakaratne (57.56).<\/span><\/p>\n

Such comparisons must be subject to caveats that recognise the different scales of run-making in the last four-five years (2010-15) because of significant changes in the rules governing balls and field placements as well as the technological improvements in bats. I provide the full statistical picture as a table before venturing upon clarifications and qualifications.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nInns.<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nN\/O<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nRuns<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nHS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nAve<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nSR<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Ranatunga<\/span><\/td>\n255<\/span><\/td>\n47<\/span><\/td>\n7,456<\/span><\/td>\n131*<\/span><\/td>\n35.84<\/span><\/td>\n77.90<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A de Silva<\/span><\/td>\n296<\/span><\/td>\n30<\/span><\/td>\n9,284<\/span><\/td>\n145<\/span><\/td>\n34.90<\/span><\/td>\n81.13<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Gurusinha<\/span><\/td>\n143<\/span><\/td>\n05<\/span><\/td>\n3,902<\/span><\/td>\n117*<\/span><\/td>\n28.27<\/span><\/td>\n60.92<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H Tillakaratne<\/span><\/td>\n168<\/span><\/td>\n40<\/span><\/td>\n3,789<\/span><\/td>\n104<\/span><\/td>\n29.20<\/span><\/td>\n57.56<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
S Jayasuriya<\/span><\/td>\n429<\/span><\/td>\n18<\/span><\/td>\n13,364<\/span><\/td>\n189<\/span><\/td>\n32.51<\/span><\/td>\n91.27<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
R Kaluwitharana<\/span><\/td>\n181<\/span><\/td>\n14<\/span><\/td>\n3,711<\/span><\/td>\n102*<\/span><\/td>\n22.22<\/span><\/td>\n77.70<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
M Atapattu<\/span><\/td>\n259<\/span><\/td>\n32<\/span><\/td>\n8,529<\/span><\/td>\n132*<\/span><\/td>\n37.57<\/span><\/td>\n67.72<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
R Arnold<\/span><\/td>\n155<\/span><\/td>\n43<\/span><\/td>\n3,950<\/span><\/td>\n103<\/span><\/td>\n35.26<\/span><\/td>\n72.50<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
T Dilshan<\/span><\/td>\n288<\/span><\/td>\n41<\/span><\/td>\n9,796<\/span><\/td>\n161*<\/span><\/td>\n39.65<\/span><\/td>\n86.14<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
M Jayawardene<\/span><\/td>\n413<\/span><\/td>\n38<\/span><\/td>\n12,381<\/span><\/td>\n144<\/span><\/td>\n33.01<\/span><\/td>\n78.67<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
K Sangakkara<\/span><\/td>\n373<\/span><\/td>\n40<\/span><\/td>\n13,975<\/span><\/td>\n169<\/span><\/td>\n41.96<\/span><\/td>\n78.88<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Gunawardene<\/span><\/td>\n67<\/span><\/td>\n01<\/span><\/td>\n1,708<\/span><\/td>\n132<\/span><\/td>\n28.46<\/span><\/td>\n71.49<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C Silva<\/span><\/td>\n62<\/span><\/td>\n07<\/span><\/td>\n1,587<\/span><\/td>\n107*<\/span><\/td>\n28.85<\/span><\/td>\n70.37<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Table sorted by year of birth<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The table provides a generalised numerical picture. Before refining the analysis, we will profit from a comparison with the statistics for two of Australia\u2019s best middle-order batsmen covering the 1990s and 2000s respectively, namely, Michael Bevan and Michael Hussey \u2014 both easily outdoing the Sri Lankan lot in their averages \u2026 with Bevan listed first in the box below.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Inns.<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nN\/O<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nRuns<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nHS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nAve<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nSR<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
196<\/span><\/td>\n67<\/span><\/td>\n6,912<\/span><\/td>\n108*<\/span><\/td>\n53.58<\/span><\/td>\n74.15<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
157<\/span><\/td>\n44<\/span><\/td>\n5,442<\/span><\/td>\n109*<\/span><\/td>\n48.15<\/span><\/td>\n87.16<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Since averages serve as one line of comparative evaluation, it is critical for us to take note of the weight of not out innings in the process. This feature in its turn is more pronounced among middle-order batsmen who, not infrequently, come in towards the end of an innings and perhaps even help secure a victory. Russel Arnold\u2019s proportion of not outs in ODIs matches (roughly) that of Michael Hussey and is by far the largest proportion among the Sri Lankans. Though Arjuna Ranatunga has more, namely, 47 not outs, he had 255 ODI innings to 155 for Arnold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Refining our comparative analysis, therefore, requires attentiveness to the specialist role and difficulties of those who enter the field quite late in the innings on a substantial number of occasions. At such moments they do not have the time to build an innings. They serve as \u201cfinishers\u201d and their risk element is greater. However, on other occasions they may walk in after an early order collapse and have to shore up the innings in ways that may bear on their strike-rate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arnold: Chequered Career<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Not many will be aware that Russel Arnold was an opening batsman at St. Peters College, Colombo and made his mark in Under 19 international cricket \u2014 on a tour of England in 1992 \u2014 in this role. He scored 242 runs at an average of 48.40 in three Tests\u00a0in England at this level<\/a>. However the prospects of entry into the Sri Lankan side were restricted because of the presence of experienced and competent batsmen in the existing line-up: Mahanama, Jayasuriya, Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Tillakaratne and, more controversially, Sanjeewa Ranatunga.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Gurusinha left the island for Melbourne circa 1996\/97 Arnold did not get an opportunity to show his wares as opener till the Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka in 1997. However, he was in competition with the technically correct Marvan Atapattu (older by three years). Grapevine gossip suggests that he also had to face the prejudices of\u00a0some Ananda-Nalanda figures<\/a>\u00a0in team and\/or Board circles.[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

It was not till the Sri Lanka team\u2019s debacle during the World Cup in England in 1999, when a squad that was picked[2]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0by Arjuna Ranatunga failed miserably, that the doors opened. The English disaster enabled the Chandrika Kumaratunga government to sideline the BCCSL board commanded by Thilanga Sumathipala and insert an Interim Committee headed by Rienzi Wijeytilleke.<\/span><\/p>\n

This opened the door for Arnold, but at this stage he had to compete with Marvan Atapattu and Avishka Gunawardene as well as the mercurial Kaluwitharana for the opening slot alongside the new captain Sanath Jayasuriya. Given Atapattu\u2019s technical competence and right-hand stance, it is not surprising that the Selectors usually fixed on a left-right opening combination of violence (Jayasuriya) combined with right-handed steadiness (Atapattu).[3]<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

While Arnold was slotted in at No. 3 on a few occasions at either Test or ODI games, the possibility of fitting in as No. 3 was soon closed by the emergence and success of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.[4]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Jayawardene\u2019s elegance and classiness in batting style and Sangakkara\u2019s correctness tended to overshadow Arnold\u2019s more laboured methods \u2014 however effective they were.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, guided perhaps by Dav Whatmore, the various Selection Committees of the early 2000s chose to shift Arnold into the middle order at 5, 6 or 7 where his coolness under pressure was deemed handy. As Skandakumar (a perceptive observer of the cricket scene) indicated to me, \u201cTony Greig was one of the first to acknowledge {Arnold\u2019s] grit and leadership qualities\u2026.. he was cool and confident until they started messing around with his place in the batting order\u201d (email, 7 April 2015). Likewise, a local writer assessed his capacities thus: \u201cHe was the ideal man for a crisis. On many an occasion, when Sri Lanka\u2019s top order batsmen failed, the rangy left hand bat came to the rescue of the team\u201d (Palipane 2011).<\/span><\/p>\n

Arnold\u2019s middle-order position in ODI matches was sustained in the mid-2000s when Tom Moody was coach. As the latter indicated: \u201cRussel was considered a good finisher, we tried to mould him into a Bevan like finisher for SL, he had all the characteristics & skills of a player that was calm under pressure plus had the ability to find the boundary when required. ODI cricket back then the role of your middle order was one of the keys to your success hence the importance of players like Russel in your top 7.\u201d[5]<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Arnold\u2019s cricketing nous on this issue came through in our Skype chats:\u00a0 he indicated that at No. 6 or 7 he considered his initial task was to nudge the singles so that the set higher order batsman would gain the strike; and where he had got his eye in and was joined by lower-order batsmen his task was to accumulate runs while nursing and\/or encouraging them. He added that he could hit fours when required. By way of illustration, in the first ODI against England on a difficult pitch at Rangiri (Dambulla) Sri Lanka in early 2001 Arnold walked in at 58 for 4 wkts with Atapattu at the crease and accumulated 39 runs (not out) in 83 balls to join Atapattu and shepherd the team to 144 for 5 in 40 overs, thereby surmounting England\u2019s low total of 143.[6]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0In summary, one could say that Arnold was a team man to the core.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Russel
Russel walks back in triumph with trophies\u00a0\u2013Pic from AFP via islandcricket<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is in this middle-order role that Arnold played an important part in Sri Lanka\u2019s ODI contests in the 2000s, especially in Australia in early 2006 and then in lesser note during the World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007.[7]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Sri Lanka outplayed South Africa to reach the ODI finals in Australia, but was comprehensively beaten by the home team under Ponting at Sydney and Brisbane after defeating them at Adelaide.[8]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Arnold batted at No. 5 (not 6 or 7) in all three matches in the final set and scored 24, 64 n\/o. and 76 runs. In fact, he ended the Australian tour with a total of 312 runs in ten innings for an average of 53.50.[9]<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

He complemented this batting role with useful part-time bowling interventions as an off spinner on the one hand and competent fielding on the other. It was Arnold who ran out Darren Lehmann in one ODI match in Brisbane with a direct hit, inducing\u00a0Lehmann to yell<\/a>\u00a0\u201cBlack Cunts\u201d as he passed the Lankan dressing room. It was Arnold who dismissed Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist before they took off in murderous flight during Sri Lanka\u2019s\u00a0first encounter<\/a>\u00a0with the eventual champions at St George\u2019s ground on 16th<\/sup>\u00a0April during the 2007 World Cup.[10]<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Russel
Arnold overjoyed at success in dismissing Gilchrist \u2014\u00a0Pic from AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite this prominent role, he does not seem to have been assured of a place in the ODI Elevens or touring squads. Between 2001 and 2007 he had to compete at various points with Indika de Saram, Mubarak, Dilshan, Kapugedera and Chamara Silva for the slots 6 and 7. Arnold himself remains quite miffed about the fact that he was \u201cin and out\u201d of the team in this period.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is an opinion shared by Nirgunan Tiruchelvam who, writing in early 2006 after Arnold\u2019s useful showing during a tour of Australia, birched the Selection Committee headed by Lalith Kaluperuma for their \u201cshoddy treatment of Russel Arnold, who is the eternal scapegoat of the selectors.\u201d[11]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0This criticism is preceded by Tiruchelvam\u2019s assessment of Arnold\u2019s services in Australia: \u201cDespite the pressures of batting at the death, Arnold rose to the occasion. He was proactive in his shot-making and nimble between the stumps. His calm demeanour was a constant asset to the team. Where he was found wanting in that he played too many nudges and adventurous sweep shots, especially in the league matches. This was rectified in the finals where the NCC batsman hit the ball in front of the stumps with the full face of the bat\u201d (2006).<\/span><\/p>\n

Consideration of this charge in relation to his Test career calls for a separate and careful analysis.[12]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0But the accusation holds good for the shorter version of the game and embraces several lots of Selectors, though not all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Russel\u00a0A birthday cake in hotel room in the Caribbean\u00a0for Arnold together with the lads \u2014Pic by Ajit Jayasekera<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

A Review<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

So, Arnold\u2019s career in both longer and Test and shorter ODI formats has been chequered. What must be emphasised here is the weight of his contribution to Sri Lanka in the shorter form of the game. To end with an ODI average superior to that of Aravinda and Mahela, and a decent strike-rate of 72.5, is no mean feat. The questions that arise are these: \u00a0(A) Why did the various clusters of selectors chose him for only 180 ODI matches \u2014 enabling 155 innings? (B) Why was he not a certainty? and (C) Why was he in and out of the XI or several touring squads? And (D) why is he not etched in our firmament with the other stars?<\/span><\/p>\n

My answer to these questions is presented now in point-form. Any evaluation requires a multi-factorial analysis, which in turn demands relative weights. The latter is impossible without a minute analysis proceeding in temporal order. So it is a rough set that I present now \u2014 with some factors in conjectural form.<\/span><\/p>\n

At any moment a Selection Committee is faced with several options for some spots and the balance of the XI or the touring squad has to be evaluated. When Arnold was at the door as an opening batsman from 1996\/97 or thereabouts that specific door was closed by the option of Jayasuriya and Atapattu as a right\/left combination in both ODIs and Test arenas.[13]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0It is when Arnold had begun to prove his value in the middle-order from 1999 onwards and such astute observers of the Lankan scene as Greig and Skandakumar recognised this asset that one can raise questions about selection policy in the 2000s.[14]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0This requires a series by series analysis \u2014 a task not attempted here<\/span><\/p>\n

As a general proposition, however, it can be conjectured that\u00a0some Selection Committees or key individuals within these bodies<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n