I think Afridi as likely captain of the Eastern Province team was not consulted. I suspect he would have preferred an Arabian horse; while Vettori, earmarked as Captain of the Northern Province side, would have probably opted for a Kiwi Ram.
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Michael Roberts, Courtesy of www.islandcricket.lk/
Shehan Karunatilaka won the Gratiaen Prize in Sri Lanka with his draft manuscript of Chinaman and was featured in a little known online newsletter posted in 2009 by the Australia Sri Lanka Association which I edited. We met and chatted subsequently at my sister’s place in Wellawatte as he perfected his novel. Chinaman has gone on to make the headlines and a new edition by Jonathan Cape has hit the market running.[1] That is good news for many – for Shehan himself, for Sri Lankan literary personnel and for the land and its people as a whole.
Shehan has also ventured into cricket journalism in an article entitled “How cricket saved Sri Lanka” that appeared in March 2011 under the masthead of the prestigious Guardian in UK – neatly timed to coincide with the World Cup.[2]This is a pulsating article carrying the reader along with lots of local flavour and cricketing background.
In principle such an excursion into a new field by Karunatilaka is also a welcome step. However, in moving into reportage and its analysis, whether in contemporary time or past time, one cannot invoke literary license. One must, in the first place, adhere to the canon of empirical validity that is enjoined on one and all, whether reporters or social scientists, who step into this terrain. Secondly, interpretative rigour should be de riguer – even for cub reporters.
On both counts Shehan Karunatilaka fails in two places. I confine myself here to the occasion where he ventures to comment on cricket in the British colonial period.
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Dilanka Mannakkara, in Daily News, 2 May 2011
He was once nick named as one of the greatest left armers of the game Chaminda Vass’ predecessor. To be given such an honour Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanga Welegedara better known as Chanaka Welagedara must have possessed something special other than his long name which resembles him to Chaminda Vaas who has the longest name in test cricket. Indeed ”Wele” as he is fondly known has a deadly banana in swinger to the right handers and has also developed an out swinger and has more pace than the master himself. Continue reading
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Chris Dhambarage, in the Daily News, 23 April 2011
The national selectors in an attempt to groom youngsters have taken a bold decision in naming three promising players in theSri Lankasquad for the three Test series against Englandstarting next week. The biggest sensation is of course the 24 year old fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep Fernando who has finally earned a place in the national team. He has been knocking at the door ever since he made his first class debut through some outstanding contributions with the ball. No wonder has was chosen as a key bowler in the Royal Challengers team which currently competes in the fourth edition of the high profile Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament. Fernando was born in Negombo and had his education at the Vidyaloka Maha Vidyalaya in Katana. But it was after he turned 20 that he really took to the game seriously and had the distinction of playing in the SLC Premier League tournament in 2008. Continue reading
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Thirimanne — a promising batsman
Dilanka Mannankara, from the Daily News, 30 April 2011
Lahiru Thirimanna is one of the most promising batsmen in the domestic circuit with a wonderful technique,a solid defence and a great temperament for the longer version of the game. “Thiri” who primarily bats as an opener or one down was thought of very highly by the selectors,the coaches and the management as a potential star for the Lankan national team. I have seen Lahiru bat with ease against top fast bowling and it was a treat to watch him belt Indian speedster Sreesanth for three crisp fours in a one day match in India.
Lahiru was unfortunately dropped from the side even after performing quite well in very limited opportunities as the previous set of selectors headed by Aravinda De Silva preferred the experience of inconsistent Chamara Silva and a woeful Chamara Kapugedara instead of young talent. But things have turned around and the new selectors in office have drafted Lahiru for the all important test tour inEngland. I met up with him and pondered a few hard hitting questions. These are some excerpts from the interview:
Q – You are back in the Lankan squad after playing against India last year. Did you expect this opportunity and how happy do you feel about it?
A – I feel very happy to be in the squad once again and my consistent performances with the bat have finally done justice to me.
I have done very well with the bat in this domestic Premier League and have scored over 450 runs in 8 matches and I only batted in 10 innings. I also scored two centuries and two half centuries and my average is close to 60. Most importantly my technique and my game style suits test cricket a lot more. Continue reading
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Shamindra Ferdinando, from the Island, 2 May 2011
The UK-based LTTE rump is planning to disrupt the Sri Lankan cricket team’s forthcoming tour of England, The Island learns. A senior government official told ‘The Island’ that the LTTE activists had organised a series of protests, targeting the Sri Lankan team and in a bid to pressure the England Cricket Board to call off the tour. Responding to a query, the official said that it would be the responsibility of the UK authorities to ensure the safety and security of the visiting cricket team.
Tamils protest at Kennington Oval, 11 June 1975 — for the text of their broadsheet and a review of this moment,see ‘Cricket as Protest Arena,” in Roberts, Incusions and excursions in and around Sri Lankan Cricket, Colombo, 2011, distributedvia www.vijthayapa.com
The official said that the organisers had launched a campaign to bring a large group of Eelam activists on May 14 morning to the Oxbridge Cricket Ground, where Tillekeratne Dilshan’s team would be playing their first match. According to him, the protesters would try to disrupt the match, unless the British took tangible action to keep them at bay. The first Test match begins on May 26 at Sophia Gardens Cardiff. The tour includes three Tests, one T- 20 international and five ODIs. According to a widely circulated message among the eelamists, the LTTE rump says the UK cut all bilateral relations with Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe in 2008 due to large scale human rights violations in that country. South Africa, too, had been subject to ‘sports sanctions’ not only by the British, but FIFA and IOC as well, the eelamists say, urging the British to slap sanctions on Sri Lanka.
The LTTE rump has declared that a team which represented “war criminals and a genocidal state,” should not be welcomed in the UK. UK-based Ram Sivalingham, Deputy Prime Minister of the so-called Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) called for a meet at Scarborough Civic Centre, conference Room B, on May Day, to discuss ways and means of pressuring the UNSG to appoint an independent international war crimes investigation in spite of strong protests by the GoSL. Sources said that Continue reading
Michael Roberts
Preamble: This foreword was written in early March 2011 for the book Rags to Riches (Colombo, Godage, 2011) launched by the Island newspaper, with Kumar Sangakkara as Keynote Speaker, later that month. The book reproduced a series of Q and A interviews serialised by the Island in the lead-up to the World Cup. This is an invaluable collection of memoirs and called for a prodiguous amount of work by Clementine. The book can be purchased by credit card from http://www.vijithayapa.com and at both Godage and Yapa bookshops.
Pics by Prasanna Hennayake
Pic from Island
Oral History
In fashioning essays on Sri Lanka’s cricket history during the last decade[1] I have often elicited information as well as opinions from individuals who were at the centre of significant episodes. This is standard methodology for journalistic reportage. In effect, we are all indulging in a form of oral history. Its resonances were brought home to me recently by Kumari Jayawardena’s enthusiastic reaction to the recorded interview with her father A. P. de Zoysa in 1967 that was a product of the Roberts Oral History Project, 1965-1969.[2] Though her enthusiasm was partly conditioned by the impact of her father’s voice coming alive once again, Kumari was also intrigued by specific pieces of information provided by A. P. de Zoysa with reference to his electoral candidature for Colombo South in the 1936 general elections. So, we are speaking here of empirical detail that may have otherwise disappeared into the dust-heap of lost history if I had not embarked on such a venture with the assistance of the Asia Foundation and the approval of Professor Karl Goonewardena. Continue reading
Incursions and Excursions in and around Sri Lankan Cricket is a new book that runs to 176 pages plus 32 pages of photographs that are not paginated, but numbered, in a cluster in the middle. The book is available at Vijitha Yapa Publications who also have a credit card system which runs efficiently – www.vijithayapa.com.
In a symbolic gesture of a token character Michael Roberts presents a copy of Incursions and Excursions in and around Sri Lankan Cricket to the Sri Lankan cricket team through Anura Tennekoon, the Manager at present. This gesture marks the author’s appreciation of the achievements secured by the various Sri Lankan squads in recent years and, most significantly, the measured and calm manner in which they responded to the terrorist attack in Lahore on 3rd March 2009, an event that is reviewed as Chapter VI in this book.
first two Pics by Eranga Jayawardena
This presentation occurred at the Premadasa Stadium during the World Cup squad’s practice session. It was deliberately timed BEFORE the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup because the author holds that the plaudits that should be extended to the cricketers remain valid irrespective of the joys or sorrows attending the outcome of one game. 
Sir Garfield gives full backing to young Windies squad
Sobers and Sathasivam greet each other –from Essaying Cricket by Roberts (2006, Colombo).
West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers joined theWest Indiesplayers at their camp at the 3Ws Oval on Friday. The greatest allrounder of all time was invited by Windies Head Coach Ottis Gibson and he accepted the invitation to discuss the game with the players and also to monitor the net session in the Garfield Sobers Indoor Centre.
Sir Garfield shared his ideas on the game and also urged the players to believe in themselves and always remain focused on the job. He also shared his thoughts on the changing face of the modern game and told the players they have his full backing as they prepare to facePakistanin the upcoming Digicel Series.
Team Manager Richie Richardson said it was a thrill to have Sir Garfield at the camp and said all the players were delighted to have the opportunity to interact with him. “It was tremendous to have a gentleman of the calibre of the great Sir Garfield Sobers to come and join us in our camp as we get ready for the Digicel Series. The Head Coach extended the invitation and Sir Garfield happily agreed to come and share some of his vast knowledge with our team,” said Richardson. Continue reading
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