Sri Lanka handed a suspension to three of their players for flouting the coronavirus norms in the United Kingdom, whereas when Pakistan had the same situation, it did neither.
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The Sri Lanka cricket team’s miseries have only increased in 2021. After being whitewashed in the Twenty20 Internationals against England, the Sri Lankan cricket fan has heaped scorn on the whole team. The #unfollowcricketers that was started by the Sri Lanka cricket fans spoke of the frustration levels that they had reached. In the last 10 series, Sri Lanka have won only one Twenty20 International. In addition to poor performances in ODIs and Tests in the last couple of years, this is a crisis point in Sri Lanka.
The situation has worsened ahead of the first ODI in Durham. A video emerged of Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunthilaka and Niroshan Dickwella flouting coronavirus norms in the United Kingdom. Despite being told that the players cannot venture out of the bio-bubble, Mendis, Gunathilaka and Dickwella were seen outside without face masks.
The response has been severe. Sri Lanka cricket has suspended the three and have sent them back home. According to local Sri Lankan media, the players might face a suspension ranging from six to 18 months. It was also reported that the Sri Lanka players came back via economy class and not business class.
With all the three not in the reckoning for the India series, there is a massive problem. The fans are at their wit’s end. Sri Lanka’s cricket is in turmoil. But, they have at least meted out the right punishment to the players. Anybody flouting bio-bubble norms must be given strict punishment. The BCCI and India had already made the bio-secure environment strict with no outside entry. Players could not even go out. England also led the way when Jofra Archer was banned for one Test for flouting bio-bubble norms.
In a way, the response by Sri Lanka and England when it comes to bio-bubble breaches has a big lesson for Pakistan. The cricket team, the Board and many prominent personalities in the country behaved as if they had the right of privilege when the team visited New Zealand in 2020/21.
The testing protocols when the side left Pakistan to New Zealand were faulty. When the cases in their Christchurch isolation increased, the lack of discipline in the side was exposed. When New Zealand’s health minister threatened that the team would be sent back home, there were several prominent Pakistan players who had said New Zealand had no right to behave in that way. Some used the occasion to call Pakistan the ‘greatest nation on earth’.
New Zealand’s actions against the Pakistan team were not out of bias. The country has successfully controlled both the waves of the coronavirus pandemic. At one point, when Pakistan had visited New Zealand, about 60 percent of the positive cases there were because of the Pakistan team. If one excluded the Pakistan count, the country’s total tally was not even over 20. Currently, New Zealand has just 21 active cases and all are in the border facility zones. Not in proper New Zealand.
Even India did not do themselves any favor when they went to Australia. In their case, it might be argued that they were already in hard quarantine for the last three months in Dubai and Sydney. They were in the country from November. When they arrived in Brisbane, there was a mini-outbreak of the coronavirus in Brisbane when they arrived. When the shadow health minister and sports minister said, India would have to play by the rules and be in three-day hard quarantine, there was objection.
This matter is a grey area. Ideally, if one is in a foreign country, you do what the country rules are. When in Rome, be like the Romans. But, the objection raised by the Indians had merits and demerits.
Sri Lanka has led the way in handing out a deterrent to players who flout the coronavirus bio-bubble. For the players involved, it is a period where they can reflect on all the actions that they have done.
Kusal Mendis was hailed as a bright prospect for the team. But, this latest act has cast a shadow over his future. Mendis just got out of hot water last year when he was involved in a fatal hit and run case in Colombo that saw the death of a cyclist. At that time, he was arrested for manslaughter but was given bail.
Gunathilaka and Dickwella were both starting to establish themselves in the Sri Lanka side. However, their suspension has now cast a big shadow on their future.
