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Lanka impose discipline, D'Silva flouts it

Aravinda de Silva is slated to face an inquiry following accusations that he assaulted a press photographer during team practise.

The Photo Journalists' Association of Sri Lanka has filed a complaint indicating that de Silva used foul language, made rude gestures with his mobile phone, and threatened to hit a photographer attached to an international news agency with a bottle.

The mobile phone bit is especially interesting. Lankan players appear to have an inordinate fascination for the gadget, with most players carrying one or more fancy mobiles and talking on them ad infinitum.

Following the World Cup defeat earlier this year, journalists and analysts had written that mobile phones played no small part in Lanka's downfall. In fact, Sanath Jayasuriya, who has taken over from Arjuna Ranatunga as team captain, has banned mobile phones from practise sessions -- which raises the question of how Aravinda was carrying one on the field during practise.

Team manager Chandra Schaffter, who received the formal complaint, is expected to hold an inquiry at the earliest. Interestingly, Schaffter had just the previous day indicated that as part of the team rebuilding process, tighter discipline had been imposed on the players.

As part of the attempt to tighten discipline, friends of players -- who, during the earlier regime used to stroll in and out of the dressing room without check -- have been banned from entering those precincts.

Schaffter's initiatives coincide with a call by Dav Whatmore, recently reappointed coach of the Lankan national side, for a tighter ship.

Whatmore, who landed in Lanka on Saturday for his second stint as Lanka's coach, told reporters that he had no problems with the skill levels of the Lankan players. Emphasising the little details, Whatmore said, would be the key to rebuilding the side, and discipline ranked high in that list.

Whatmore had, in October 1996, abruptly ended a two-year contract with Sri Lanka in October 1996 to take up a coaching assignment without Lancashire. He is now back on a four year contract, with the brief of preparing the Lankan team for the next World Cup.