One of the key factors for New Zealand's dismal performance on their seven-week tour of Sri Lanka which ended on Wednesday was their inability to come to terms with the mental toughness that is required at international level to make one a successful team.
New Zealand lost the three-Test series 2-1 to Sri Lanka, after winning the first Test convincingly and were unsuccessful in their bid to qualify for the final of the Singer-Akai Nidahas trophy triangular failing to win a single match against Sri Lanka and India.
``Looking at Aravinda de Silva, who is a world class player and one of the great cricketers of his time, he has got his game right under control. He does know exactly what he is doing, where he is hitting the ball, where he is going to play. That comes from experience, ability and that mental hardness,'' said Graham.
``A lot of our guys are still young and they've got to learn from watching players like De Silva if they are going to be competitive at international level. Our skipper Stephen Fleming has done reasonably well because he is clear in mind about his game and is able to put into focus and practice every game. He has got his game together more on this tour under difficult conditions than before. He is a class player and I can see his batting blossom over the next seasons,'' said Graham.
Sri Lanka's master batsman scored 368 runs (avg. 73.60) in five matches to take the ``Man of the Tournament'' award.
``The mental aspect is something this side has to work on very hard. The players are aware of the challenge. I suppose if you are an international player and assuming you have got skills and the technique, it is your mental hardness and mental preparations game by game, your knowledge of where your strengths are and, how you use them that make you a successful sportsman.
``These are things I think as individuals of the game, the players are not quite clear about. There's a mental aspect to international sport which if you are not on top of it, you are vulnerable. We've got a lot of flashing players and it will be good to have one or two guys like Marvan Atapattu, who is able to be a steady rock in the middle of an innings and play a long time and still score 70 or 90 runs while the straight players are playing around him. We've got to find players who got their resolve and even straight players who have to defend their wicket when things are difficult.
``If Muthiah Muralitharan is bowling well in the one-day game, there is no reason why we shouldn't play a maiden against him, and try to attack the next over, rather than try to bash him out of the park.'' said Graham.
The New Zealand manager paid Muralitharan a great tribute when he said: ``We know that Murali is a great spin bowler. He bowls well anywhere in the world. In his own country he is more lethal. The ball turns more and he is still accurate,'' he said.
Graham was also impressed with new left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratilake of whom he said had immense promise and did more with the ball than their own Daniel Vettori.
``Vettori is an intelligent young man. He would have learnt a lot from watching your guys. The six wickets he got in the third Test indicated the skills he has got. In normal circumstances it is a match-winning bowling performance, but we lost the Test by a big score. Our bowlers have a bit to learn about accuracy and length and bowling to batsmen's weaknesses,'' said Graham, who has been in charge of the New Zealand team since November 1996.
Graham was also impressed with the talent displayed by the two Jayawardene's - batsman Mahela and wicket-keeper Prasanna, both of whom have been picked for the tour of England.
``Mahela's had a marvellous summer. His performance in the second Test at Galle was a brilliant innings. It was the difference between the two sides.
You take his score (167) out and the game would have been very tight and close. He played well in every game. Given that he is properly well look after, he is marvellous potential for the future. He is already a Test player of quality and the same age as Craig McMillan (21), but there is a soundness about his game that you cannot see McMillan having just yet. But they are different sorts of players,'' said Graham.
``Prasanna kept against us in one of the games and I am impressed with his ability as a very talented young man. He is still a schoolboy and only 18. The selectors have had the confidence to place him in the national side.
There is promising depth in the Sri Lankan side,'' said Graham. ``When I see these young guys play, they all play the right shots. It looks as if they have been well coached, the technique is good. You finished as world champions in the first fifty years of your Independence, the next fifty should be more promising,'' he said.
Graham described his team's performances on the tour as ``inconsistent and variable'' and said, ``we really haven't played as well as we would have hoped''.
``The latter half of the tour has been disappointing from performances and results. The climate was not easy for us. But that is not an excuse, it is only a minor one. All international sides have to face the challenge of the country they are going to and handle it. The challenge for all of us is to make sure we learn from the experience,'' Graham said.