Elmo Rodrigopulle: Thanks to the Australian HC (20 Aug 1996)

20 August 1996

Thanks to the Australian HC

Comment By Elmo Rodrigopulle

The Australian cricketers led by new captain Ian Healy have finally decided to come and for this the credit must go to the Australian High Commission, if not for whose monitoring and sending of encouraging security reports to the Australian Cricket Board, their visit would not have become a reality.

Had the Kangaroos skipped the visit, the Singer tournament on which the sports promoting sponsors have spent lavishly to make it one of the show pieces of cricket would have lost some of its glamour and glory.

The Aussies looked long and hard before commiting themselves. They played in this prestigious tourney two years ago and are aware of how well the tournament was conducted and how lavishly they and the other teams were looked after and the Singer tourney especially was high on their priority cricket list.

SECURITY WORRY

But it was the security situation that the Aussies were worried about. With the cricket board promising them the tightest of security, they can now put that fear behind and concentrate on the game.

However much the Aussies may make the security situation an excuse for dodging their World Cup game, it was the ugly incidents that took place on Sri Lanka`s tour of Australia that prompted them to forfeit the WC game fearing reprisals.

But now those ball tampering, chucking, sledging and other incidents are for posterity and as for Arjuna Ranatunga and his world champs those were the ups and downs of the game.

CONNOISSEURS

The Aussies need not fear the local spectators. The Lankan spectators are connoisseurs the game and while they will appreciate and applaud excellent efforts, they will also boo the ungainly act. This happens in every part of the cricket playing world and it is no different here.

The Australian - Sri Lankan clash promises to be a sell out with one team looking to prove their supremacy and the other wanting to even things. In cricket anything is possible and the team able to do its act perfectly will be the victors.

While everyone was rejoicing the coming of the Aussies, it was mournful reading the unsporty revelations made by skipper Ian Healy in his autobiography `PLAYING FOR KEEPS` in which he states that he was stalked by terrorism and goes on to mention the on field incidents, he had with skipper Ranatunga and the McDermott - Ranatunga episode.

NOT CRICKET

While it is more the exception than the rule that on field incidents spills over as it happens in the heat of the moment, to publicise them we think is not cricket.

In doing this, Healy was probably looking for a bit of sensationalism. Otherwise his book `PLAYING FOR KEEPS` would have remained for keeps on the sellers bookshelves.

In taking Healy to task, we are certainly not defending the Sri Lankans. It is said that it takes two to tango. It would have been good had Healy buried the on field incidents there and then. No point in doing the cry baby act!

WORLD CLASS

In his book Healy says that the Aussies regard Ranatunga as a world class cricketer and a master of gamesmanship, the most influential person in Sri Lanka cricket, whose influence in Sri Lanka stretches well beyond the boundaries of his sport.

Healy further states that his (Arjuna`s) father Reggie is Deputy Minister for Transport in the Sri Lankan government and one of Arjuna`s six brothers Prasanna, has also embarked on a political career.

Continuing Healy says: ``that if you were visiting Sri Lanka during the World Cup as we were supposed to be, the one family you would not want to get offside are the Ranatungas.``

The stab in these statements are obvious.

WONDERFUL PEOPLE

We would like to tell Healy that the Ranatungas are some of the most wonderful people he would be fortunate enough to meet, and that his assumptions about them are not correct.

We hope that Healy would be able to meet the Ranatunga family. He would then probably change his views!

Anyway it was the Aussies who gave sledging to the game. If reports reaching us from the mini World Cup in London is an indication, then their juniors are giving continuity to the tactics.

Anyway the bottom line is the game and let all teams play it clean.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)