Having kept wicket (at a club
Having kept wicket (at a club level), you generally do know when a ball has bounced in front of you. It just feels different when it hits the gloves than when you take it on the full.

That said, you don’t always know. There could be times when it’s tough to tell, and I imagine those margins for error get narrower at higher level cricket.

I am not saying Dickwella didn’t know. He may well have – and he accepted the charge and the sanction.

But to fine a debutant for that is something I don’t quite understand. How many times do bowlers and keepers appeal for lbw decisions they know aren’t out?

Apologies. I of course didn’t
Apologies. I of course didn’t mean that cricinfo is the only place you can comment.I just meant that if there is an error, we are more likely to see it on the site and correct it if there is a comment pointing it out. As a big fan of Island Cricket, of course I understand that some people want to comment here.

I also definitely agree that I am open to criticism, and appreciate when someone does so honestly and without malice. I’m just not a fan of being attacked – and it’s hard not to take that sort of criticism personally.

For clarification, @shiraz: The article had orginally said Mahela was “one of Sri Lanka’s most monumental match-winners” before it was changed to what it is. It wasn’t changed for any factual reason, but in order to make the sentence cleaner.

Anyway, I will leave it here.

Wading in to defend myself
Wading in to defend myself here.

First off, nowhere in the article does it state Mahela is SL’s greatest matchwinner. That is not Mahela or Sanga, but Murali (who could even argue?).

Mahela was not the recipient of all those dropped catches. I remember only one let off for him, on 58. Not only are reprieves just a part of the game (Lara’s Barbados 153 is rated one of the greatest ever, after all), Mahela was also given out wrongly on 119.

I appreciate honest feedback and criticism,but the vicious nature of some of these comments would annoy anyone. If there is an error in my articles, feel free to leave it in the comments below on Cricinfo.

@ Anonymous. SLC owns the
@ Anonymous. SLC owns the Super Fours, and by extension, Kandurata. What SLC are saying now is that they want Sangakkara in their team despite the prospect of losing $150,000.

Whether or not this is a bluff, it is pretty important news that should to be reported on. If it is a bluff and SLC back out (and Sangakkara doesn’t), then it will be the board who end up looking bad.

@Anonymous – Ajit Jayasekara
@Anonymous – Ajit Jayasekara is in this case, a spokesperson for SLC. He is an SLC employee, and is not only one of the closest officials to this story, but also the top authority on the Super Fours tournament, which the Kandurata Maroons took part in. What he says about SLC’s plans for the Champions League is as relevant to the story as any other voice you can find.

Moreover, Nishantha Ranatunga is already on record on Cricinfo saying he would prefer Sangakkara (and Kulasekara) to play for the Kandurata team over their IPL franchises.

If either Sanga or
If either Sanga or Kulasekara’s IPL side requires them, they are not allowed to choose. They have to play for the IPL team.

Since the BCCI effectively runs the Champions League, the option of breaking their contracts (and giving up 20% of their IPL payment) is not even really worth considering.

Hello Ravana. Felt I had to
Hello Ravana. Felt I had to respond to this criticism.

Let me start off by saying, I don’t write the headlines for my articles. There are sub editors and editors who deal with that. There are occasions where I send in a suggested headline, but for both the pieces you are referring to, I had no input on the headline at all. If you have an issue with the content itself, please let me know what that might be.

But the headline issue may be moot. It is entirely possible for Mathews to be under pressure with the bat on day two of a Test, which was still in the balance, and for him to have a more optimistic outlook after they have won the Test on day four.

These things are not in the least mutually exclusive in my mind, and I believe if you read the articles again, you will come to the same conclusion.

Thanks

Fair enough that Mahela
Fair enough that Mahela didn’t take Clarke’s word for it. Clarke doesn’t have a glittering track record as an honest fielder (Sydney 2008 anyone?) and when you are trying to save the Test for your team – you want to be absolutely sure you are out.

Gotta love Shane Watson though. The guy just faithfully keeps pumping out more reasons to hate him. So reliable.

@ Suren: I think you’ve got
@ Suren: I think you’ve got me all wrong. I didn’t mean to imply at all that Indians don’t appreciate Test cricket, simply that as the IPL is an Indian league – it naturally holds more interest for Indians.

If there were no good international players in the league, few outside India would care. Just like noone really cared about the previous versions of the Sri Lankan domestic T20 tournaments. Or noone outside NZ cares about the HRV Cup.

@ Riyas: I’m not saying the SLC are blameless whatsoever. But how wise is it to sign a contract that releases your players for a massive Test tour just five days before it starts on the other side of the World?

My point is that contracts between boards – not the IPL and the players themselves, mind – are taking the power away from the players themselves to pick their priorities. I’m not sure how much the SLC care about Test cricket, but a this episode shows, the Sri Lankan players certainly do. As they are ultimately the ones who take the biggest pay cuts, make the calls and (most importantly) play the game – the final decision should rest with them.