Surprise reminiscences from Commentator Mujhaid, Jones and TEN Sports

It came as a surprise, yet a pleasant one. It had personal undertones which made your columnist blush! It was when watching the exciting action unfolding in the deciding one-dayer between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium. The surprise was to hear this columnist’s name and my cricketing and journalistic deeds being mentioned by renowned TV Commentator Chisty Mujahid on TEN SPORT on Saturday.

Obviously Mujahid would have collected his facts about my little over 50 years of sport writing, especially cricket and my deeds with bat and ball during my halcyon days from Ranjit Fernando and Roshan Abeysinghe the excellent local Radio and TV Commentators who have made a name for themselves in the world scene.

Mujahid had been on air with former Australian batting stylist Dean Jones when Mujahid recalled his first meeting with me when I as the first journalist who accompanied the Sri Lanka team to Pakistan on their maiden tour entering the elusive portals of Test cricket.

Ranjit Fernando my stumper

The Captain of that historic Sri Lanka team of 1982 was Bandula Warnapura and the manager was former Sri Lanka Captain Anura Tennekoon and Assistant Manager former Sri Lanka wicket keeper and opening batsman Ranjit Fernando who was also my stumper when I Captained St. Benedict’s College in 1960. In 1961 when I took a hat-trick against St. Peter’s College at Kotahena, it was Fernando who affected the first stumping that of David Heyn. The other victims being Tyronne Le Mercier bowled round his legs and Aditha de Silva LBW.

Mujahid mentioned our first meeting and then went on to describe my heroics with the bat when I became the first Sri Lankan batsman to score a century when limited-over cricket was introduced to the country in 1972 and played for the Browns Trophy. I scored that century for Saracens against my first club the Tamil Union at Rifle Green.

Then Mujahid and Dean Jones paid me a great compliment when they bracketed me in that exalted company with former Australian Captain, respected cricket journalist and TV Commentator Richie Benaud, Tony Cozier, the respected West Indian TV Commentator and Pakistani Qamar Ahmed, TV Commentator and Journalist who has a record similar to mine.

Over 50- years in journalism

They are all with over 50 years of journalism. Incidentally a colleague of mine reminded me of another record, saying with tongue in cheek that it was probably a world record in that this

columnist had served under 28 Editors and still going strong under Chairman and Managing Director of ANCL Bandula Padmakumara a respected and renowned journalist and Editors-in-Chief Rajpal Abeynailke of the ‘Daily News’ and Dinesh Weerawansa of the ‘Sunday Observer’.

Incidentally Benaud was my idol during my playing days. During my first tour as a journalist to Pakistan in 1982, I met Mujahid, Ahmed Salahuddin, Wasim Tariq and Tahir Memon who was the Pakistan Tobacco Company representative.

Pakistan cricket was then sponsored by PTC. Incidentally Tariq invited me to give expert comments on radio in the final Test that was played at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore. For a journalist making his first tour, they were extremely helpful, helping me in every way and making me feel at home for which I am extremely grateful.

Also my grateful thanks to TEN SPORT for letting Mujahid and Jones to air my rare achievements which went to where ever TEN SPORT was taking the action to. I raise my bat and doff my cap to Mujahid and Jones for their generous comments which I took in with humility.

Zimbabwe’s magnificent victory

I now move on to Zimbabwe to give loud applause to Captain Elton Chigumbura and his gutty fighters on the magnificent victory over Australia in a tri-series game at the picturesque Harare Stadium which rocked the cricket world. The other country playing is

South Africa.

Taking in the action on TEN cricket, the action that unfolded was terrific, exciting and nail biting and when Prosper Utseya jetted a delivery from Australian Captain Michael Clarke for 6 to signal victory all hell was let loose by the packed crowd of Zim cricket fans who were savouring the heart stopping final moments.

Zimbabwe a beautiful country rich in wild life and tourist attracting, but unfortunately crisis-ridden would have celebrated this victory till the wee hours of the morning and the happiest man undoubtedly would have been President Robert Mugabe and had he declared a national holiday, it would have been fitting.

After being mauled in the first game and when Australia won the toss and batted first, it looked as though the Zimbabweians would be chasing leather and taking part in a sports meet. But stung to the quick by the earlier defeat, the Zim bowlers, especially the off spinners hit back with a vengeance strangling the free hitting Australian batsmen and finally bundling them out for a gettable score of 209.

Aussie best batters clueless

The Australians led by Michael Clarke who was playing his first game having not fully recovered from injury fronted up their best batters who have excelled in this style of limited-over cricket. It was obvious the care free manner in which the batsmen were playing that they were oozing with over confidence.

The Zim bowlers Prosper Utseya, Malcolm Waller and John Nyumbu bowled their tantalizing off spinners and had them in a tangled web and never let them break loose. The wicket was taking big spin and there was bounce. In fact it was a dream of a spinners’ wicket.

The big batting guns - Phil Hughes, Aaron Finch, George Bailey, Mitch Marsh, James Faulkner batted like novices. It was left to Captain Clarke 68 and Haddin 49 to add some respectability to the score and make it 209. It was unfortunate that Clarke had to retire hurt when going well. Had he stuck at the wicket more runs would certainly have flowed.

When Zimbabwe batted they found run making difficult, but seemed to be motoring well on 100 for 3 with the approach of the bowler and fielders looking lackadaisical. It prompted Clarke to come to the field and energize his men and when Zimbabwe lost their 7th wicket at 156, it looked as though Zimbabwe would not make it.

Fighting stand helps Zimbabwe

Then a fighting stand of 55 by Captain Elton Chikumbura and Prosper Utseya took them over the line and to Eldorado and for celebrations to break out for a victory that came after 31 years. The Captain was unbeaten on 52 and Utseya on 30.

For off spinner Utseya who took a hat-trick against South Africa, it was a memorable game. He is an off spinner of the highest class and could fit into the best company of off spinners. Nyumbu and Waller are also top class offies.

With the ICC seemingly allergic to off spinners and calling them for suspect or illegal actions, we hope the same fate will not befall Utseya, Nyumbu and Waller. It was a victory that can revive Zimbabwe’s cricket and strengthen their claims to be given back their lost Test status.

I have been to Zimbabwe twice covering the Sri Lanka cricket team’s tours and took in the wild life and what was breathtaking and unforgettable was the Victoria Falls and a boat ride on the Zambesi River in Bulawayo.

During that time Zimbabwe was peaceful and I happened to meet and be treated by Sri Lankans Terry Perera and his lady Myrna, Suren Wijesinghe, Seevali Abrew and Honarine and Mohan Ashbury in Harare and Soma and Dr. Kitta Rajaratnam in Bulawayo. In Bulawayo Dr. Rajaratnam was the physician to the Lankan cricketers.

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