Singer demands friendly environment for series (22 Sep 1996)

Monday 23 September 1996

Singer demands a friendly environment to conduct next series

By Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Packed stadiums, bright weather and exhilarating cricket marked the second Singer World Series which World Cup champions Sri Lanka won handsomely by 50 runs defeating one-time bitter rivals Australia, to reaffirm their status as the best one-day cricketing nation.

But what of the future ?

If what Singer (Sri Lanka) Ltd. chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya says is to be taken in serious context, then something drastic should be done by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka to ensure that the tournament is not moved out of the country.

"As organisers of the tournament we need a friendly environment to conduct it. If this is not so, we will have to look elsewhere,'' said Amarasuriya.

The Singer chairman's comments comes in the wake of the unfortunate incident that marred the closing ceremony of the tournament which was conducted very successfully by the `sewing machine' company.

"We would like to make it an event every two years. But we would like to hold it in an environment which is welcome to us,'' said Amarasuriya, who was deeply disturbed by the aftermath of the closing ceremony mix-up.

Moving the tournament away from Sri Lanka will not be a problem for Singer, who have proved once more that they have the manpower and the commitment to conduct a tournament of this magnitude.

However, it will deprive the cricket loving public of Sri Lanka the opportunity of witnessing world class cricketers in action at home. The large crowds that turned up at the matches is proof the tournament has become very popular and has been accepted by the public.

Since Singer inaugurated the tournament in 1994, cricketers from India, Pakistan, Australia and Zimbabwe have graced our playing fields.

Singer's commitment is to popularise cricket in Asia. Apart from holding the Singer World Series in Sri Lanka, they have conducted Singer Cup tournaments in Sharjah and Singapore.

"We are looking forward to globalising the game by taking it to countries like Malaysia and Bangladesh,'' said Amarasuriya.

It is left to the Sri Lanka Cricket Board to ensure the Singer World Series stays in Colombo and becomes part of our international calendar.

By winning the Singer Cup, Sri Lanka proved they are the best in the world when it comes to the abbreviated version of the game.

The sternest test for Sri Lanka will however come in Kenya, where they come up against South Africa in the four-nation tournament later this week.

South Africa is one of the few countries they have not met either in the World Cup or after it.

South Africa were in the other half of the draw and were deprived a possible meeting with the eventual World Cup champions Sri Lanka when they lost to West Indies in the quarter-finals after having come through the preliminary round with an untarnished record.

Since that defeat, South Africa have regrouped and proved that they are a force to reckon with in overs-limit cricket by winning the 3-nation Pepsi Sharjah Cup in Sharjah in April. India and Pakistan were the other participants.

Victory in that competition in which they came out with 100 percent record, stretched South Africa's winning sequence in the last 16 one-day matches to 15 with the World Cup defeat against West Indies being the only blemish in their rather impressive record book.

"South Africa are a very competitive unit. They have the financial backing to bring in what is necessary to win. So, we can expect very tough opposition,'' observed Sri Lanka coach Davenall Whatmore.

"South Africa has a history of strong pride in whatever sport they play. They are very dedicated players. I for one, am looking very keenly to that contest,'' said Whatmore. Sri Lanka meet South Africa on October 1.

"Every time we play a team we have not met before, it is a test in itself. When such opportunities come along, I am glad, because we have another chance to tell how good we are''.

"The more wins we can string together in this game, the greater reputation we are going to get as a country,'' said Whatmore.

Playing for the first time in front of their own home crowd since winning the World Cup, the Sri Lankan players were made to understand the Singer World Series was probably a little bit harder than the World Cup because, according to Whatmore: "It was a cut-throat one''.

"You play three games and then a final. If you happen to lose one or have a bad game along the way, it is very difficult to make it up. We were very mindful of that when we started,'' said Whatmore.

That Sri Lanka came through it all with a 100 percent record did not surprise the coach.

"Our team in this form of the game is one of the better ones in the world,'' he said.

"You have the knowledge that the players have the ability and skill to perform under any playing conditions. It is a matter of putting it into perspective,'' said Whatmore.

The players' commitment to cricket and to win is very apparent in the team, which gives The Management and every member of it a very comfortable feeling.

"The players' commitment to cricket was there since I started. They have a genuine desire to win and the way they have gone about their job has indicated that the strong desire has been there right throughout,'' said Whatmore.

Sri Lanka has mastered the art of the one-day game that, they don't have a problem of losing, but a problem with how they win and how they lose.

"It is always difficult to keep coming up and keep winning every match in every tournament. Bearing in mind the one thing you can guarantee in cricket is failure, then I believe the opposition has to beat you if the players direct all their energies into every game they play and do their best,'' said Whatmore.

There is no doubt that fitness has played a major part in Sri Lanka's success in the overs-specific game.

"The most important thing is trying to educate the players in the need for fitness. Any hard task master can say - right this is your training program, get up there and do it. It could be the most beneficial and best training program ever. But unless the players know why they are doing it, the purpose is lost,'' said Whatmore.

With the assistance of Richard Walsh and physio Alex Kountouri, Whatmore has provided each of the players with a diary to enter their training schedules.

"It is to prepare each cricketer to further their own decision-making in terms of keeping healthy life styles. We feel it is better for them to make their own decisions and shape their own destinies in terms of fitness and skill,'' said Whatmore.

"In a game of cricket, you need to make decisions by yourself. You can't have other people making decisions particularly when you are batting. We are more keen to have the players practice making their own decisions and hopefully the right ones and taking more responsibility for their future in the game,'' he said.

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