Windies bask in Glory, as Mahela's astute captaincy led Sri Lanka into the Final

Our congratulations go out to Darren Sammy and his gallant band of cricketers on their winning the 2012 Twenty20 World Cup. They were one of the pre tournament favourites to lift the Trophy and that they lived up to those expectations was great. In recent times after their World Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1979 under 'super cat' Clive Lloyd and the Champions Trophy in 2004 under Brian

Lara, their cricket had been in the doldrums.

No brilliant cricketers such Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott and Everton Weekes then known as the terrible Ws, Garfield Sobers, Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith, Rohan Kanhai, Lawrence Rowe, Gordon Grenidge, Alvin Kalicharan, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Brian Lara and Joel Garner were emerging because not many were taking to the game, preferring to play some other more lucrative sport. But now with the Windies winning the Twenty20 Trophy, more youngsters will take to the game and their glorious past could once again return and the game will also be a big draw.

The best thing that happened to West Indies cricket was the return of Chris Gayle to the game after a long wait in the wilderness. The West Indies Cricket Board and Chris Gayle settled their differences and Gayle's return inspired and strengthened the team and contributed to its success.

Job to do

Captain Sammy said while the critics had a job to do, he had always believed in playing for the Caribbean people. 'The commentators get paid to speak. The media gets paid to write stories. I get paid to play cricket', he said 'Critics will always be there. Someone might find something wrong I did even though we won. That does not worry me. The most important thing is that the team did well. And I always say I live my life one way. Christ came to this earth, did nothing wrong and yet was crucified. I am nowhere close to that man', he concluded.

Sammy was asked as to what had won the game for West Indies, after they had been precariously placed on 32 for 2 at the half way stage of their innings. He spoke about belief, and in a reflective moment spoke about God. 'He works in mysterious ways. He performs wonders. Questions were raised about the unity of the squad in the past and players had numerous disputes.

'A fourth straight loss was very painful. It hurts a lot because you want to do something special, not just personally but for the public as well. We have been playing some really good cricket but unfortunately we haven't been able to cross that hurdle.

Player and cricketer

'As a player, as a cricketer and as an individual, it hurts a lot but you just have to move on and see how well we could get over this and get back on and keep fighting again', opined the reflective Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayewardene. It was disappointing when Jayewardene revealed that he had discussed with the Selectors his future role before the 2012 Twenty20 World Cup and had informed them about his desire to quit the captaincy after the tournament. At the post match media briefing he announced his quitting as T20 captain and would have savoured that moment had he been able to win the T20 trophy. But that is how it goes. But he did not lack for want of trying. The whole nation must admire, stand up and give this cricketing

gentleman a big hand for the invaluable and exemplary services he rendered to the game and its upliftment by coming back as captain to rescue the game and take it forward.

Services essential

But thankfully he has decided to stick with the one-day and Test team as captain. New Zealand will soon be here and then Sri Lanka will tour Australia. His services as captain are essential.

After roaring into the T20 final in style, it was galling to the country to see Sri Lanka capitulating in the final. Mentally the Lankans did not seem ready and the pressure was too much and with batsmen looking silly by getting run out, the game that could have been won was gifted.

Obviously the next captain will be Allrounder Anjelo Mathews. But the fact that he played an ungainly shot at a crucial time will haunt him, as it would Thisara Perera and Jeevan Mendis for getting run out so clumsily.

Granted that the threesome committed hara kiri in the heat of the moment. But had they hit the ball and got out they would have been excused and had no regrets. But the ugly manner in which they threw away their wickets was unacceptable.

ICC come out in poor light

When D.S. de Silva was Chairman of the Interim Committee, Sri Lanka Cricket and his nephew Suraj Dandeniya was Tournament Director of the 50-over 2011 World Cup and were handling the sale of tickets, they were skinned and lynched with unfounded allegations.

Skinned and lynched by critics alleging that they had mishandled the sale of tickets and even enriched their life styles by black marketeering the tickets and a host of other unfounded allegations. The just concluded Twenyty20 World Cup was no different when it came to the handling and selling of tickets. This time round the ICC handled the sale of tickets and the manner it was done was riddled with allegations. Now where are those critics who lynched 'DS' and Suraj? Why were they silent? The reasons for their silence are obvious.

Genuine cricket lovers

While genuine cricket lovers were deprived of tickets to watch their local heroes performing, with some even being baton charged and chased away, tickets were available in the black market at prices ranging from 10 to 15 thousand a ticket. Critics will always have allegations to make. Some for personal

animosity or when favours are requested of them and refused as was the case with the D.S. de Silva administration which came in for a bit of stick for refusing favours. Anyway while the ICC came out in poor light regarding the sale of tickets, it must also be said in all firness that you cannot control the black marketeers and at the same time as running a big tournament.

Thanks to giant screens in clubs and parks, mayhem was averted. We hope the ICC will take away some lessons from this and introduce a better process and controls for the distribution and sale of tickets.

Pleasure meeting Gwen Herat

Coming out of the R. Premadasa Stadium after the final, it came has a pleasant surprise to meet Gwen Herat, former Vice President of Sri Lanka Cricket and President of Sri Lanka Women's Cricket.A very keen cricket fan, it was during her tenure as President of Women's Cricket that the game hit a new high. From the time she quit, the game has nose-dived and unless she could be coaxed into coming back, women's cricket looks doomed.

In lighter vein

In lighter vein when Marlon Samuels was slamming his sixes, the moment the ball left his bat the fielders were shouting - 'alapang, alpang'('catch, catch) - only to see the cricket fans in the tiers attempting to take the catch. The ball never fell inside the playing area. Such was the power that every six Samuels unleashed ended in the tiers. Like I said earlier, the brutal hitting by Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Johnson Charles and Andre Russel has not been seen in the country before.

It was joy to those watching and heart break to all the bowlers in the tournament who took the pummeling. Their flat, powerful and bulls eye hitting of the wicket for run outs was also amazing.

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