The making of instant gods and demigods by Sharm DE ALWIS Clive Lloyd Cricket in this part of the world is bigger than religion. It even has its own gods and demigods. Soccer may be the worldwide king of sports, particularly in the Spanish speaking countries, but here in the subcontinent, soccer begs for attention from King Cricket. World Cup cricket may not appeal to connoisseurs of the game, but it is the lifeblood and sinew of the multitude. Like in politics, it is the multitude that will always call the shots. An agricultural stroke of Murali that fetches a harvest of four runs for the team is as sweet as a Pele dribble past seven defenders to score. Viv Richards Kapil Dev catching the marauding Viv Richards to turn the game on its head or Clive Lloyd with hands like gloves dropping Geoff Boycott in the sheer belief that "as long as Boycott is there we are on the win" could well be the delicate nuances in cricket that soccer can never impart. OK, a deft touch by Rooney's foot or another will get that goal, but he who cross-kicked with immaculate precision never gets even a line in history. It is a fundamental miscarriage of justice that cricket never allows. Soccer has produced its heroes to captivate its fan base, but cricket has never been far behind. Cricket has had its heroes no less than soccer. For every Pele or Maradona or Puskas or even the modern day Rooney or Messii, cricket has churned out icons who tug at the helms of immortality. In World Cup Cricket, have not hearts and homes been set on fire by one loss or one win? Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Sachin and Sanath - have they not had their images worshipped in every corner of the souls of the multitude? Every four years a new crop of icons joins the immortals. Kapil Dev Sri Lanka's captain, Kumar Sangakkara, has said that the World Cup is more than a piece of silver. Spectators throng the arenas in their thousands to get a piece of the cake even if they do not have their daily bread. Cricket, not football, has produced men of the lip. Can you imagine David Beckham or Zidane mouthing unforgettable lines in the manner of Sangakkara who held his own stage when he was told by his captain to sledge. Did not Shaun Pollock who moved towards the Leg Umpire, re-think and come to the crease to tell Sanga "You are bloody good?" All in all, it has to be concluded that when the World Cup is to be played in our own backyard, as in 1996, the home advantage points to a Sri Lanka win.