Many a spinner will deliver post Muralitharan
 It
is nauseating at times to hear foreign journalists, always posing the
question at media conferences: without Murali has Sri Lanka the spinners
to deliver? Is there a spinner who could help SL win matches without
Murali? And many other questions on the great bowler.
Now while we do not mind or contest the journalists' right to
question, it must be remembered that Muttiah Muralitharan had long hung
up his boots, after serving the game and bringing great honour to the
country. He is history now. And he would be the first to welcome others
who have shown ample promise.
Sri Lanka has won Test matches without Murali and will continue to
win as long as they play well. We have spinners in Rangana Herath, Suraj
Randiv and Jeevan Mendis who can win us matches. And it must be
remembered that it is not always that spinners win matches.
Retirement
Captains since the retirement of Muralitharan-Mahela Jayawardene,
Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan must be annoyed having to
answer the often asked question.
Muttiah Muralitheran who was not without controversy, is the greatest
wicket taker in Tests and one-day cricket. He went past two greats in
Australia's Shane Warne and Pakistan's Wasim Akram. He has been
appreciated, applauded and honoured for his services to game and
country. Let him remain that way.
Pallekele picturesque
The fourth day of the Third and Final Test between Sri Lanka and
Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, dawned the
brightest with the sun shining in all its splendor and glory. With the
sun shining, it exposed the hills - Hantane, Rikiligaskade and
Hunasgiriya - and wasn't it a sight to behold. The Pallekele Stadium is
surrounded by the hills and valleys and admiring it from the excellent
Media Box it looks stupendous. The Stadium was specially built for the
hosting of some of the 2011 World Cup matches.
I have been to many cricket playing countries as a journalist
covering the game and while the Caribbean has some pretty grounds, the
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium can hold its own with any other
venue in the world and if I was to be asked which is the best, without
any hesitation I would loudly say - PALLEKELE.
Where credit is due
Credit must be given where credit is due and it must be stated that
this stadium was built during the reign of former Sri Lanka leg spinning
all rounder D. Somachandra de Silva who was the Chairman of the Interim
Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket. Similarly when Asgiriya, the home of
Trinity College cricket was made to International standard, and where
Test cricket was played, the men who made it possible such as Gamini
Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka Cricket and another former all
rounder Abu Fuard must not be forgotten.
Sad that international cricket is not being played at Asgiriya any
more.
Explaining the history and geography of the hills were three of my
good friends Deva Amunugama, Upananda Jayasundera and Hafeez Marikar,
three stalwarts in the hill country and what they do not know of the
game in the hill capital is not worth knowing. Amunugama, an Old
Trinitian, has been a Vice President of the Kandy District Association
and now is in his home town on holiday from Sacramento, in the US.
Sporting family
Jayasundera is from a sporting family of brothers who were top
cricketers and boxers at Dharmaraja College. He captained the College in
1965 in which year they won the big match against Kingswood.
Upananda was one of the pioneer coaches of Kumar Sangakkara and is
happy that his pupil is going great guns in the game.
His brother late Daya boxed for the college but is better known for
his exploits on the rugby field where he sported Sri Lanka colours and
on quitting the game took to refereeing and blowing without fear or
favour. Marikar a former Sylvestrian was a good sportsman, but excelled
sport administrator and is a freelance journalist.
Dr. Mendis will be missed
It was sad to hear the passing away of Dr. Geethanjan Mendis at the
young age of 56 after a brief illness bravely borne. He was on life
support for a few days and there was hope that his life could be saved.
But when the call came from his creator, he would surely have faced it
bravely. To us who knew the doctor, he was a good and obligingly soul. A
Neurologist, after a stint at the Neurology Unit of the National
Hospital, he became the head of the Sports Medicine Unit formed by the
Ministry of Sport.
While in the Unit, he served with dedication and honesty and the
other doctors who served with him in the cause of sport, learned a lot
from him and was amazed at the knowledge he had about sport injuries and
how to treat and cure them.
Incurable injuries
Many were the sportsmen and women who suffering with potentially
incurable injuries that threatened their careers, sought his healing
hand and were cured to continue their sporting careers, with some of
them going on to bring honour to the sport and country.
He went on many foreign tours learning the latest techniques of
sports medicine. He conducted many sports seminars and taught and spoke
to sports people and showed them how to stay injury free. He was a
honoured guest at many international sporting events. When Sri Lanka's
greatest woman athlete Susanthika Jayasinghe was under a cloud and with
threats of being suspended or banned, it was Dr. Mendis along with
Professor Anton Jayasuriya, a world renowned acupuncturist, Dr. A.R.L.
Wijesekera, Chief Government Analyst and a former national badminton
champion, President's Counsel Eardley Perera and Dr. Hemamal Jayawardena
who proved to the Anti Doping World Body, the innocence of the athlete
and set her free to win Olympic and World Championship titles. Dr.
Mendis walked with the high and mighty but never lost the common touch.
He will be missed by his many patients and legion of friends.
Good bye my good friend.
May he attain Nibbana!
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