Sri Lanka's passion for cricket

By Dinesh WEERAWANSA

It is said that sports is a great leveller and the best example comes from South Asia and of course Sri Lanka!

There is a great passion for cricket in the subcontinent. Not even in the country that gave birth to the gentlemen's game that one could see such a high degree of enthusiasm and excitement.

For most cricket-crazy fans in the sub continent, cricket is not only a passion and a way of life but also a kind of religion. Sri Lanka, led by Kumar Sangakkara, made the little Indian Ocean island proud by taking Sri Lanka all the way to their third Cup final.

The key to the Sri Lankan team's success story was team work and dedication. Sangakkara and his men had to make many sacrifices and make a determined effort to climb to the top of the cricketing world, just as Arjuna Ranatunga's team did in 1996.

The Sri Lanka cricket team provides the best example to promote ethnic and religious harmony. There are several players from different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs.

But they have been working together as one family to achieve their cricketing goals.

Be it Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim, they are brothers of one great family when it comes to Sri Lanka's national cricket team. Their unity should go a long way in strengthening ethnic harmony all over Sri Lanka.

It has been a great achievement by Sri Lanka which has a population of a little over 20 million.

When countries with much larger territories and populations are struggling to find talent, Sri Lanka's constant form has been amazing.

Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup triumph, beating Australia by seven wickets in the final played in Lahore on March 17, 1996 transformed the game here to a highly professional level. This opened a new era in Sri Lanka sport and more opportunities came towards Sri Lanka.

Similarly, Sri Lanka's success at the 2011 World Cup would certainly elevate Sri Lanka cricket to a new super high.

It has been a long wait for both Sri Lanka and India without a World Cup win.

After those back to back World Cup triumphs by Clive Lloyd's West Indians in 1975 and 1979 in the first two World Cup tournaments, it was Kapil Dev's Indians who sprang the surprise at the 1983 final at Lord's and prevented the Caribbean going for a hat-trick of wins.

It was Sri Lanka which invented the art of pinch hitting during the 1996 World Cup.

Dashing openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana took One Day cricket by storm with their magical pinch hitting which made a revolution in batting. Jayasuriya's cracking form enabled him to be adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament at the 1996 World Cup.

When the success story of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup is written, one cannot forget the contributions made by Aravinda de Silva, the current chairman of selectors, who made a blistering century in the final to win the Man of the Final award.

Asanka Gurusinha too made a valuable contribution as Ranatunga's men reached the pinnacle of world cricket.

Millions of Sri Lankans across the length and breadth of the country would be dreaming of a similar performance from Sangakkara and his Sri Lanka team. Of course it may look a tall order to humble Indians before their home fans.

But nothing is impossible if Sri Lankans trust in themselves.