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If Arjuna Ranatunga is anathema to some of the Australian cricketers and media, Shane Warne has been exposed to the world as a bribe taking crook without a conscience trying to cover up his sins by dragging poor Salim Malik as a guinea pig.

It is sad when one so talented as Shane Warne who has everything going for him should reach such low depths.

The Australian Cricket Board should have banned him from first class cricket and given him his just desserts. But no. Warne and Mark Waugh were necessary for success even though they had committed an unpardonable crime.

As for Arjuna Ranatunga he was always master of Warne and that memorable six in the last World Cup final in Lahore will be etched long in the memory of millions of cricket fans in the world.

Unfortunately the heady wine of success was too much for Warne and comparative novice that he was compared to Ranatunga he had the temerity to comment in an English newspaper that cricket would be better off without Ranatunga.

True, of late Sri Lanka cricket has gone through a bit of traumatic times and this included Ranatunga. But we must remind the Aussies that we don't go making comments or undue remarks at the various crises Australia cricket goes through from time to time.

This man who was found guilty of accepting bribes from bookmakers is like a chameleon changing his colours and attitudes.

A sledger of great reputation, he even tried to oust Steve Waugh from the captaincy. However Warne's machinations were seen through by the Aussie administration in time.

As for that Lord's disastrous World Cup game against England, true the weather was against us. But why in heavens name did Ranatunga and his selectors drop Mahela Jayewardena one of the best one-day batsmen who has won many a match for us and Upul Chandana a man for all seasons who has been found very reliable. Ranatunga must realise that players like Hashan Tillekeratne who is by no means a one-day cricketer and Roshan Mahanama who shuffles across his stumps has slowed down considerably and caught plumb in front in the process of the shuffle. Of course their are those who organise hurrah clubs for him.

Then there is another glaring mistake in taking Chandika Hathurusinghe who does not know whether he is bowling wides outside the off stumps or leg stump. Hathurusinghe may go through some quirk of fate during the current tour. But he is one of the most adept half cocked batsmen we have seen and playing half cock is suicidal in England.

Ranatunga it must be accepted is a born fighter and is the most experienced captain in world cricket. So let us put our total faith in his leadership and his ability to motive his side into a winning mood.

Just one more thing. When Erik Upashantha was bowling all over the place at Lord's, it would have been better for Ranatunga to have had a word of advice with the bowler and encouraged him, rather than bawl out for all the world to hear.

The Lankans gave a pathetic batting display which led to their thrashing by England by 8 wickets in the world cup opener at Lord's, on Friday.

The leading batsmen Jayasuriya, Mahanama, Atapattu, Aravinda de Silva were ignorant of the fact that it is vital to get behind the ball before executing. They played away from their body and gave catching practice to the slipmen and wicket keeper.

Only skipper Ranatunga and Kaluwitharana showed how to tackle the moving ball by getting in line. But the damage done by the earlier batsmen was too much for Ranatunga and Kaluwitharana to repair and with that went any ambitions the Lankans had of successfully launching their bid to retain the World Cup.

Kaluwitharana played a masterly innings and underlined the folly of the selectors for not opening the batting with him.

Left armer paceman Allan Mullally was not getting much movement. He was getting bounce while angling the ball across the batsmen. Had batsmen been in line, he could have been made to look innocuous.

The dropping of Mahela Jayawardena and Upul Chandana was unacceptable. Here are two of the most exciting cricketers in the Lankan line up and that they were allowed to take in the action from the cool of the pavilion is a minus mark on the tour selectors for their poor thinking.

There is hardly an allrounder in the Lankan line up. Chandana is only one who fits the bill, then how come he was dropped? Jayawardena too must be wondering what he had done wrong to be sidelined. It is time that the selectors thought positive and tossed in these two players

Sri Lanka can't afford to suffer another loss. It is time that they got their act together and got on the winning trail.

Today they face a South African side fired up by their resounding victory against the Indians. The South Africans are packed with all-rounders and it will not be easy beating them. But if the Lankans play the way we know they can, then there is no reason why Sri Lanka should not win.