'Winning another World Cup is within our reach' - Ranatunga

Arjuna Ranatunga, recently appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has said one of his prime concerns is to improve the standard of junior cricket in the country and to prepare a team to win the 2011 World Cup, which will be hosted in Asia.

The last time Asia hosted the World Cup was in 1996, and Sri Lanka won it under Ranatunga's captaincy. "If we address the few problems that we have at present and pick the right team and create the right environment, winning another World Cup is within our reach," Ranatunga said while addressing the media after taking over the chairmanship of SLC. "Today we can draw a lot of strength having the world's greatest wicket-taker in the history of the game [Muttiah Muralitharan] and also the best batsman in the world [Kumar Sangakkara]," he said, "but for some reason our team is not occupying the place it should be at present.

"I was lucky to win a World Cup, but the important thing is was from there onwards I don't know whether we have gone on the right track," he said. "I personally feel that we are second to none. We are one of the best sides in international cricket today, one of the most talented cricketing nations in the world. It's very important to get it right.

Ranatunga said he was keen on working for the betterment of the game and that the help of former cricketers would be a plus. "Something that I've always wanted to do to was to try and give something back from the administration side after retiring from cricket," he said. "I am not really concerned about what people say. I came here to do a proper job and address the issues facing Sri Lanka cricket today. We have lot of past cricketers and captains who are keen and willing to help. It's a huge advantage for me."

Ranatunga said he was confident of achieving his goals within a certain timeframe, just as he did when he led Sri Lanka to a World Cup win. "This position is not a new thing for me. I've worked in the cricket committee for a short period," said Ranatunga, after being appointed chairman following the resignation of Jayantha Dharmadasa on Monday. "The important thing is that I am a straightforward person. I will do the right thing. I have got the blessings of the President of the country and the two Sports Ministers. It is very important for me to get the backing from the Sri Lanka Cricket staff, coaches and even the media.

"In the past a lot of good things have taken place but we have to put right areas where we have gone wrong. Cricket is something that belongs to everyone in the country. I think I have a great responsibility and there were a lot of people who wanted me to take over this post. Now that I have accepted it, it is my responsibility to do the right thing for cricket."

Ranatunga said his parliamentary experience would be also aid him in improving the game. He expressed his desire to take cricket to the villages. "I think in the recent past it has not gone the way it should. Cricketers in the provinces and districts should be given the same facilities and employment as in Colombo so that the game develops in those areas," he said. "What we have here today is that because of the lack of such facilities we have all of them coming down to Colombo which is not good for the game.

"When my team won the World Cup there was about 60-70 percent cricketers from the outstations [places other than Colombo]. Even today the majority of our national team comprises outstation cricketers.

Junior cricket is high on Ranatunga's priority. "Something has gone wrong somewhere in our junior cricket and we have to address that immediately. School cricket is the foundation of our cricket," he said. "I believe that if you can get the junior and Under-19 cricket going properly the problems that exist in the national team will cease and we'll have quality cricketers coming through."