Galle CC badly needs an international scoreboard

The Galle International Cricket Stadium where the First of Three Test matches between Australia and Sri Lanka is being played, looks a engaging picture that portrays a culture and a history that is unique to a storied town. With the Galle Fort built by the Dutch and with its greenery is a beautiful sight to behold.

The ground is well manicured, the turf wickets nursed and nurtured and well looked after by former off cutter Jayananda Warnaweera. Warnaweera has been long enough in the business to know what he is doing.

The writer, along with Vernon Gunasekera and Pictures Editor Kamal Jayamanne make up the Lake House team covering the Test match for the ANCL Group of Newspapers, stay inside the Fort in a Guest House called Dutch Villa.

Hive of activity

The inside of the Fort is a hive of activity with the roads being carpeted and there are a lot of tourists, not only taking in the cricket action, but also seeing for themselves the rich history that is Galle and hugely enjoying themselves in the lovely weather prevailing. Entering the ground what strikes one most is the imposing newly built bus stand. The old bus stand was destroyed by the dreaded tsunami. Even the ground was not spared by the tsunami. The determination, dedication and the devotion of Warnaweera to re-do the stadium and bring it to international standard paid off when Sri Lanka Cricket and sponsors rallied to bring it to an even better level than what it was before the tsunami.

I have been to many Test playing countries and can vouch for the fact that is one if not the best and most picturesque stadiums. But one thing that this stadium lacks is a scoreboard to international standard.

Warnaweera must crown the good work that he is doing by luring some sponsors to install a scoreboard. With cricket being the number one sport in the country, sponsors are waiting to be asked and Warnaweera will do well to ask.

Down memory lane

Sitting in media box watching the action unfold and describing it for the ‘Daily News’ and the ‘Sunday Observer’, makes me break into a bit of nostalgia and go down memory lane when playing for the Burgher Recreation Club I used to travel with the team to play Galle CC in trophy cricket in the early 1960s. During that era, it was a park where cattle graze and roam and the game had to be stopped for the cattle to end their leisurely walk from one end to the other. Even the people ignorant of the cricket being played would wander into the playing area only to be told to keep off the playing area. Those were the days my friend.

Michael Holding bouncer

Former West Indian Sir Vivian Richards for whom the tag ‘master blaster’ was coined for his belligerent stroke-making hit hard at those who matter for restricting fast bowlers to one bouncer per over and then back pedaling and making it two per over. He also condemned the ‘suits of armor’ worn by scared batsmen. He was joined in this pursuit by his former team mate Michael Holding who bowled a blinding bouncer.

Richards and Holding who were eye catching cricketers when they were in creams, pull no punches when they speak and will not fear to tread where angels would not dare. After Richards hit hard in an interview with the ‘GUARDIAN’, Holding let fly by saying that Test cricket will not be long in being degraded with Twenty20 and 50-over cricket usurping the longer version of the game which is what cricket is all about and appreciated and enjoyed by the connoisseurs of the game.

Every word true

Every word of which Holding spoke was true. Test cricket will soon take a back seat with most countries craving and hungry to play more of the ‘cowboy’ game and with the International Cricket Council being helpless and watching still sporting their toothless tiger image as they always do. Accepted that cricketers, the Cricket Boards, the ICC need money and spectators baying for action and excitement. No one will begrudge them that. But while raking in the shekels, it must be done with a balance. The time honoured game of Test cricket must not be made second best. We hope more cricketers and even administrators will dare and put their hands up and be counted, speaking against out allowing the ‘cowboy’ game to put to second best Test cricket.

Richards and Holding have spoken. Let’s see who or how many others will take it from there.

Broom-stick greeting

The Bangaladeshi cricketers who returned from a disastrous tour of Zimbabwe recently, believe it or not, were greeted by angry fans wielding broom-sticks in Dhaka.

Zimbabwe, in cricket’s wilderness for six years owing to political reasons, beat Bangladesh by 130 runs in a one-off match; and beat the visitors 3-2 in a one-day international series. It was the first defeat for Bangladesh in six years.

Dhaka’s International Airport saw cricket fans gathered to vent their anger and frustration, sporting banners and placards and chanting slogans against the cricketers who were disgraced.

Bangladesh who flew into Zim land favourites and full of hopes, could manage only consolation wins in the last two one-dag games.

Must be condemned

However the behaviour of the cricket fans must be condemned in strongest possible terms. They have no right to act in the disgraceful manner in which they did. Although the fans claimed to be cricket fans, their credentials should have been challenged and treated with the broom-sticks they were carrying.

In the past Indian cricket fans were famous to vent their anger when their team lost and would throw stones, with some even daring to torch players’ houses. But thankfully that is now a sad thing of the past with their team winning Test series and limited over tournaments. But if the Indian cricketers continue to topple to defeat like they did in England recently where they were no worthy opponents and lost the Four-Test series 4-nil, the primitive antics of their cricket mad fans would not be long in reappearing.

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