RANATUNGA_POLITICS_21MAR1996

Ranatunga yet to decide on entering politics

By Amit Baruah

COLOMBO, March 20.

Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga did not rule out the possibility of his entering politics, following in the footsteps of his father, Mr. Reggie Ranatunga, who is a Deputy Minister in the ruling People`s Alliance Government.

``I have not taken a decision on entering politics,`` Ranatunga said in response to questions at a press conference organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka here today. He confirmed reports quoting him that the selectors should look around for a new captain.

The victorious captain said he would take a decision on entering politics at the ``correct`` time. Ranatunga`s elder brother is a Minister in the Western Provincial Government.

Asked if he faced any pressure from his father to change course and join politics, Ranatunga said Mr. Ranatunga (Sr) was the happiest when watching his star son playing cricket.

Also speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ana Punchihewa, Board president, said that cricketing authorities would soon offer contracts to players so that they could devote themselves full time to cricket as in other countries.

Mr. Punchihewa, who returned from Lahore only today, said that about 20 players may be offered contracts in coming days following the superb performance of the national cricket team in winning the World Cup.

The Board president, who attended a conference of the International Cricket Conference (ICC), said his country supported the grant of full cricketing status to associate countries.

``We know how hard it was for us to come to this level, spread to other countries if it was to survive.

Referring to the quadrangular games planned for August- September, Mr. Punchihewa said he was optimistic that Australia would visit Sri Lanka. India and Zimbabwe, he said, had already confirmed their participation.

Replying to questions, Mr. Punchihewa said that they would wait for a mutually agreed time with Australia before looking for options to fill the fourth place in the tournament.

Asked about the weaknesses of the World Cup team, Ranatunga said it needed to strengthen the bowling. Manager Duleep Mendis, who was also present at the press conference, said that running between the wickets had been bad because players out in the middle could not hear anything owing to racket being made by the crowd.

Asked if off-spinner Muralitharan was now in the clear, Mendis stated that it should be noted that none of the neutral umpires who stood in the World Cup had called him.

In reply to a question about the influence of big money on the players, Ranatunga hoped that this would not go to their heads. ``The players did not play for the money that was promised, `` an emphatic skipper said.

According to Ranatunga, all the prize money received by the team (and there is quite a lot of it) would be pooled by the winning squad of 14. Players who had won cars would receive a major share, but the rest would be distributed equally.

Coach Dave Whatmore, when asked how he had asked players to tackle the Aussie tactic of sledging, said he told the boys not to get flustered by the ``verbalising`` by the ``old enemy`` and focus on the task before them. ``To my mind, there was hardly any verbalising (during the final),`` Whatmore added.

Source :: The Hindu