Showers of blessing, Lankan cricketers warmly welcomed in damp weather

by Ranjan Anandappa

CRICKET: Thunder, lightening and an absolute deluge, greeted the Sri Lankan cricket team that returned home Thursday morning after a fairly successful run, being the runner-up at the 2007 World Cricket Cup competition that ended in the West Indies on April 28.

It took over five-and-a-half hours for the cricketers to reach Sri Lanka Cricket Headquarters with an unprecedented gathering on either side of the road from Katunayake to Colombo greeting their cricketing heroes despite the rain that lashed in most of the areas in the country.

Originally the felicitation was to take place at Independent Square, but the heavy rains which prevailed, did not permit to do so, and last minute arrangements were made to have it in the SLC Auditorium.

Parents, spouses, politicians, well-wishers, and cricket enthusiasts were there in numbers to welcome back the cricketers. Sri Lanka Captain Mahela Jayawardene who did not wish to speak at length due to a long and tedious homeward bound journey, did not hesitate to speak a few words on behalf of the team, and the entire nation who were behind them.

"After a hectic journey, my ability of speaking has been a bit less. Nevertheless, I will be failing in my duty if I do not thank the Ministry of Sports and Sri Lanka Cricket for organising this grand ceremony, which all of us appreciate greatly," said Mahela.

"Likewise I would also like to thank all the people who were behind us right from the first game to the last, and who are behind us even now. Without that support we find it difficult to represent the country".

"I am extremely lucky to lead a side of this nature because all are dedicated, and players of great self belief, which has made my task so much easier," Captain Mahela added.

He was also full of praise of the family members of the team, who would have surely had to undergo, the same amount of tension as the players did, during the tournament.

The Chief Minister of Western Province Reginald Cooray who also spoke, said that there was an era where the image of Sri Lanka and its people were in doldrums. But the cricketers then, who won the World Cup somewhat cleansed that image.

He classed the present cricket team in the same category, which no president, prime minister or politician could have done.

He further said that all Sri Lankans of us believed that we could be the champs, but he feels that the runner-up position is as valuable as becoming the champs because in the match against South Africa although we lost narrowly, the whole world was talking about Sri Lanka. Although Australia won, the talking point in the world was Sri Lanka.