• 2nd ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium today

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

One of the few good things that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has done to the national cricket team is to strictly emphasise on physical fitness. 

With the blessings of the National Selection Committee, the Cricket Advisory Committee and head coach Mickey Arthur, fitness has become a criterion for selection to the national team, mainly the 2 km run which the players are expected to cover within a stipulated time limit of 8 minutes and 35 seconds.

SLC launched the 2 km run fitness test for the national cricketers to ascertain their fitness levels in February this year ahead of the tour of West Indies, and subsequently, the National Selection Committee made it a criterion for selection. It has also been included in their contracts where a player, apart from being dropped, can also face a penalty for being unfit.

The new test, a standard method of determining the fitness and endurance levels of athletes, replaced the Yo-Yo test adopted by SLC and became accepted after Grant Luden was appointed Physical Performance Manager of SLC in January.

Two extremely talented batsmen, Avishka Fernando and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, found to be short of the required standard of fitness and dropped from a couple of white ball series played by Sri Lanka have learnt the lessons the hard way and worked themselves back into the national team to be selected for the ongoing series against South Africa.

One of them, Fernando showed on Thursday at the R. Premadasa Stadium what being physically fit can do to you individually. He scored a splendid century 118 off 115 balls, his third in ODI cricket to lay the platform for Sri Lanka’s 14-run win over South Africa in the first ODI and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. In addition to his batting, Fernando also excelled with his fielding, thus making an all-round contribution to the win to take the Man of the Match award.

“Because of fitness issues I missed a few matches but I’ve learnt a lot from it and improved my fitness,” Fernando admitted at the post-match media conference. “Now it is easy for me when I am batting and when I am fielding. I am able to do both quite easily. I can see a bit of improvement in myself. I didn’t do anything with my batting but because my fitness has improved my batting and fielding have also improved inevitably.”

Fernando was involved in three productive partnerships, the highest of which was 97 for the fourth wicket with Charith Asalanka who hit a career-best 72 off 62 balls. It is not the first time that these two batters have come together in a stand. They have been doing it since being teenagers for various teams from school level, under-19 and club for SSC.

“From the age of 15 and 16 we have been together. Each of us knows how we play individually,” said Fernando. “We have a close connection with each other and we help each other when batting in partnerships. It is easy for the team as well as for us.”

Fernando disclosed that the score Sri Lanka eventually ended up far exceeded what they had initially in mind. “Our target was 270-280 but with contributions from the other batsmen we were able to get to 300.”

“Winning the first ODI in a series is important, it makes it easy for the winning side. We are in a good position to win the next two as well. We played extremely well in this game, that’s why we were able to get a result in our favour,” he said.

The second ODI takes place at the R. Premadasa Stadium today commencing 2.30 p.m.

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