We can do better than SQL

No, you can't do better than SQL. "Better" must include both compatibility and maturity, and any SQL alternative cannot have either. (Maturity will require a very long time, and compatibility will prevent the alternative language from getting there.)

Unrelated, TFA says:

    SQL is not a small language. ... The main reason is that SQL, in line with its
    original goals, strives to be an English-like language, catered to 'non
    professionals'.

That's just not true. Yes, SQL was born in the COBOL era, where English-like was the trend. But that's not why it isn't a small language. Rather, it is doing a complex thing, and has grown over a long time to address a lot of real-world problems.