All credit to Gilchrist - difficult to bat with squash ball - Russel Arnold

by Ranjan Anandappa

CRICKET: Former Sri Lanka middle-order batsman Russel Arnold who announced his retirement from first-class cricket during the recently concluded 2007 World Cricket Cup, referring to the squash ball incident, said that the team was not aware of a squash ball inserted in Adam Gilchrist?s gloves prior to the final against Australia.

He said that even when the Sri Lankans came to know about it, they thought that it was never going to be an issue amongst them, all credit should be given to Gilchrist because it is dificult to bat with a squash ball in the hand. There is nothing in the laws to say that what he did was wrong. We thought whatever tactics Gilchrist used against us, he was brave and fantastic .

?Gilly (Gilchrist) would have inserted the squash ball in his left batting glove to avoid using the bottom hand less, so that he could use his top hand more frequently for power and guidence. If we knew about it earlier, we would have bowled a few bouncers at him so that he would have gone for the hook and lost control, and miscued one,? said Arnold when the Sunday Observer interviewed him recently after his return to the island from the West Indies.

What he did was nothing to breach the laws. As we know there are many batsmen who strap their bat handles with layers of rubber grips to thicken the grip if necessary to feel at ease while bating, added Arnold.

Excerpts of the Interview

Q: Was your decision of retiring a spontaneous one?

A: It was not on the spur of the moment decision. It was something that I thought about my life and my future and so on. It was a decision when I was not in the team for a year or two. Whichever the way it goes, I thought, I?ll give it all upto the World Cup, and God willing, it worked and once I got there, I thought I must continue in whatever the plans I had in my life.

Q: How do you look back as an International cricketer in the last ten years?

A: I made my Test debut in 1997 against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium. It was a rough career. At times I wished that I could have done much better. Lots of things go in one?s favour, but at times it didn?t. But on the whole when I look back I don?t regret one bit, I think I have given it a good shot. The way things have been and turned out, I am very happy about it when I look at the good things and bad things, it gives me great pleasure in being in the situation that I am now in.

Q: In how many Test matches and one dayers did you represent the country?.

A: 44 Tests, 180 ODIs. I was also a member of the 2003 World Cup held in South Africa. I have scored three Test hundreds.

Q: How did you feel during the different stages of your career?

A: Most of the time the going has been tough. I believe I was never played because someone felt I was not good. I had to make lots of runs and put in lot of hard work for whatever I had got, so I am pretty pleased about that.

There have been moments that you think, things would have been different or better, and in the same way it also could have been so much worse. I am pretty happy for what has happened. I am not the most technical or the most gifted of players, but I had always had a lot of guts and I had to put in a lot of hard work to achieve whatever I purchased, so there is a great sense of pleasure when I look back.

Q: Do you intend in giving back something in return to Sri Lanka cricket?

A: Cricket is something that I loved, and what I know. So I would always like to be involved. Watching cricket also gives me a lot of pleasure. I had lots of experiences in ups and downs and I have come through it all and I think I have great experience which I will be able to impart to others and help others, which I intend doing in the future.

Q: You began as an opening batsman, but batting in the middle order at crucial stages has it given you satisfaction?

A: Well, my role that I had to fullfil was a difficult one and I am well aware that when people look at that role, I am never going to be picked on public opinion. But the fact remains that someone had to do it and it was not always enjoyable. It is frustrating because sometimes you don?t get to bat, sometimes you just have to go there and slog around.

Sometimes you got to get the team out of trouble. So it is always a batting position where there is lot of weight on. Batting up the order one can go and express oneself and you have time to settle in, play the game and set the tempo.

But that doesn?t happen way down the order. By batting down the order, you are not going to have the return of the top order batsmen would have. We understand that and Mahela understood that as well. Sometimes you will be in for a lot of criticism because people just look at scores and say this guy has got so much and this guy has got nothing.

But there is a hidden contribution there which has been appreciated by my team mates. There were lots of frustrating times needing plenty of courage, and I am pretty happy the way I handled it.

Q: How do you see the difference between the two sides Australia and Sri Lanka in

the final?.

A: The comaparison shows that the Aussies are a very professional side, they go about their business in a very arrogant way and they are strong. We Sri Lankans play a different kind of game, the management has identified our strengths and weaknesses and we played a game which is very enjoyable to watch, but totally different to the Australians.

We had to go with what we had and use that to the maximum. We did that very well. Our cricket was loved by everyone and each one had a different role to play which was totally different to the Aussies, except for the day of the final when the rub of the green didn?t go our way.

A guy like Gilchrist to go off that way was fantastic for him, but very unfortunate for us, 282 may have been probably 20 or 30 runs more than we would have liked to have conceded, but we felt 282 was gettable and we were in the chase until the rains ca

Me down.

The wicket got wet, and it became very dark and we were behind and our chances dwindled soon. Those are things we cannot control and the luck not going our way. Australia being dominant on the day. We needed a lot of luck or a little more than luck for the game to come your way.

Q: What type of advise do you like to give our young aspiring cricketers in the rapidly changing world of cricket?

A: Identify your strength, weaknesses, whatever anybody says or does it doesn?t matter. Set your standards, if you are happy that you maintain it that?s all that matters. You must also believe in yourself, that?s all it matters. Q: What do you think of captain and vice captain combination of Mahela and

Sangakkara?.

A: They understand each other very much and they are best of friends also off the field,

They are two positive guys where their decisions are based to put the team first.

So it is fantastic having them around and good for Sri Lanka cricket.

Q: When was your first overseas cricket tour?.

A: As a schoolboy, I toured England in 1992 under Suchitra Alexander. The following year, we toured Singapore and Malaysia captained by Royalist Gamini Perera. Present day players like skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Ravindra Pushpakumara, Avishka Gunawardena, Indika de Saram, Saman Jayantha, Naveed Nawaz and Jeevantha Kulatunga were some of the players in that side.

Q: Anything special to be mentioned.

A: Yes, I would like to thank my bank, HNB, for supporting me right throughout my career, granting me plenty of leave encouraging my cricketing and banking career.

Q: What are your impressions on coach Tom Moody?.

A: Working with Moody was enjoyable because he was a very positive character, and always encourages the player to go out, look for things, expand one?s game, and he had a lot of confidence in me to keep continuing to do what I was doing. He also insisted that I do nothing different to what I do at number 7 so that?s what helped me to go on.