CricInfo speaks to Asanka Gurasinghe

Five years ago Asanka Gurasinghe was the rock that held together the Sri Lankan batting. A bulky left-hander he was one of the few who was able to temper his sun continental flair and marry it to determined concentration and patience. Since he retired from international cricket in 1996 Sri Lanka have struggled to find his replacement. Indeed, no other batsman has adequately filled his boots at the pivotal number three slot. But where has he gone and what is he doing now? CricInfo recently hunted him down in Australia and spoke with.

1. What have you been doing since you left Sri Lanka?

I have been living in Melbourne since 1996 and have never been back to Sri Lanka. I have settled down here. I play a little cricket, only local cricket due to work commitments, and have been working for Leader Newspaper, subsidiary of News Corporation, as a senior account manager.

2. Do you enjoy Australia?

I do actually. I have a lot of friends here and I am very happy here. The children have settled own here too and are enjoying it.

3. What do you miss about Sri Lanka?

Well, I definitely miss my friends and family back home.

4. Why did you first start playing cricket?

A lot of people played down the lane where I lived in Sri Lanka, all were of the same age group, and that got me involved.

5. Who was your hero as a young player?

One player I really admired was David Gower

6. How would you compare your style of cricket to his?

My style was vastly different. Gower was more relaxed when he was playing, I think he was a very positive player, we do not match in style, but I really admired him

7. Does Sri Lanka miss the determination you brought to the side, as a hard working, grafting player at number three in the order?

I am not really sure; it's a difficult question to answer. It's a great feeling if someone says they are missing me but we have some very good players back home. Russel Arnold, who was a young player coming up when I was playing, is a very useful player as he can adjust to any situation. Apart from that we have a number of attacking players. I personally believe that Sri Lanka needs someone like Russel Arnold. They are a very good side at the moment and the future looks good for Sri Lankan cricket.

8. Do you think Sanath is a good tactical captain?

Well I never played under Sanath, so I cannot really say. However, he has a lot of experience and is now a senior player. He has been doing a good job so far.

9. Has the middle order become since when you were playing?

Up until the 1999 World Cup we had Aravinda, Roshan, Arjuna, even Hashan in the side. I feel that most of the players would be hoping that Aravinda would get runs. If he failed the rest would not be able to support him.

10. Why do you think Muralitharan was received with such hostility in Australia?

What happened in the 1995/96 summer is still going on. He was also called for throwing in 1998/99. However, I feel that the majority of the Australian public have supported him despite this.

11. Some say it's difficult for Darrel Hair to be an umpire having made comments about Muralitharan in his book. What is your opinion?

I totally agree with the Sri Lankan Board. The ICC has looked at his action nothing has changed since 1995. Darrel Hair will call him again. It's better if they stop him umpiring Sri Lankan matches, otherwise sub-continent teams could even boycott playing against Australia.

12. Would like you to get involved in Sri Lankan cricket again?

No, as I am happy with my job here and in the sub-continent you never know what will happen.

13. What is your opinion of Dav Whatmore as a coach?

He's the best coach I have played with. When I say he is the best it's because he treats people as adults and it's really fun. Dav was always straight with me - when he thought I was wrong he told me. We would argue, but when we finished, we were always friends.

14. Match fixing ha been widely documented in India and Pakistan, why have we heard little about betting on the game in Sri Lanka or has it been swept under the carpet?

Every country is talking about it at the moment. When things started happening in a big way, Sri Lanka was not a big side, and we were losing a lot of games.

15. Players from India have been suspended and players in Pakistan have had fines but at the same time continue to play. If you were the head of the ICC what would you do to clean up the game?

Most incidents were reported to ICC very early on and they should have dealt with them then. Even with Warne and Waugh, you cannot punish one and not punish others. When things were reported in 92/93 they should have done something. They just let it go and it got worse; they should take most of the blame. I am happy with these new contracts being offered, but am not sure who will sign.

16. What are the different approaches taken by Sri Lankan cricketers compared to Australian sides?

After living and playing in Australia I have realized just how positive and attacking they are. They are always thinking and are never scared of losing. Even in district cricket they will declare and go for it. They are also very aggressive and tough, even at the district and junior levels. When you see teams come from Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan, they never bat first on tracks here. Australian sides are not afraid to bat first anywhere.

17. How can Sri Lanka boost away from home on the test scene?

You need a good spinner, and luckily we have Murali, and you need 2 or 3 good fast bowlers. Look at Australia; they have McGrath, Brett Lee, Damian Fleming, and Shane Warne. It's a very balanced bowling attack.

18. This year Pakistan has played 40 one-day internationals. Are too many limited over matches played every year?

That is part of the game and you can't change it now. The needs of the sponsors have to be catered for. Players have to adjust to play both games. On the positive side One-Day cricket has encouraged teams to be more attacking in test cricket.

19. You mentioned David Gower as you're hero, who was your greatest opponent and why?

My greatest opponent was Wasim Akram. He could do anything with the ball and was the best bowler I have ever faced. Then, with the bat, he could also perform.

20.What is the greatest match you played in?

Definitely the World Cup, it was a great win: a great comeback to beat the Aussies.

21. When people remember the World Cup Final they probably remember the great century by Aravinda De Silva, but what was the turning point of the final?

The turning point was the wickets we took in the middle of the innings after the opening stand. This allowed us to restrict them to 240. We knew it was a good wicket and that they had good bowlers but we were not worried about Warney.

22. Your average in test cricket was near 40, near 30 in one day cricket. Why did you cut short your career so early?

I announced my retirement early because I was not enjoying my cricket anymore. I could have played till the 1999 World Cup. I have no regrets or animosity towards players, I would have loved to keep playing, but I am happy now.

Thanks for your time Asanka.