Ranatunga’s words of wisdom
 Sri
Lanka Cricket’s energetic secretary Nishantha Ranatunga made a stirring
speech at the awards ceremony of the Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires
Association held on Thursday.
Ranatunga said that factionalism in cricket is what is destroying the
game. ‘Factionalism is the biggest problem we have in cricket today.
Factions among umpires, cricketers and officials is rampant.
"When these factions go to war, it is the game that suffers’, said
the former all rounder. Ranatunga with his tremendous experience as a
cricketer and an administrator is fighting against odds to streamline
the administration and the factionalism that is existing between the
cricketers.
Forget differences
He also called on the umpires to forget their differences, join hands
and work for the betterment of the game. We hope that Ranatunga’s words
of wisdom will strike a chord and help heal the factionalism.
Under the able leadership of former cricketer, Ashroff ‘Ashie’Ghany,
the Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires Association has gone from strength to
strength and is on the right road for further success.
Ghany knows the importance of umpiring: that good and honest umpiring
can help improve cricket considerably. From the moment he sported the
cap of President of SLCUA, he has worked hard to improve the lot of the
umpires and the Association is fortunate to have him.
World class batsmen
Two world class batsmen, Ricky Ponting of Australia and Shivnarine
Chanderpaul of the West Indies reached great milestones in their
chequered careers in the just concluded Test series between Australia
and West Indies in the Caribbean.Ponting the former Australian Captain
became Test cricket’s second-highest run-getter when he erased India’s
Rahul Dravid’s record of 13,288 runs during the final; test at Windsor
Park, Roseau.
Chanderpaul became only the 10th batsman in the history of the game
to reach 10,000 runs and join his countryman Brian Lara who had made
11,953 runs when he was forced to quit the game.
One of the best
Ponting one of the best batsman to be produced by Australia led them
to many a Test victory and also led them to victory in two World Cup
finals. He made big runs against every Test playing nation.
A stylish right hand batman, he has every stroke in the book and is
particularly strong when executing the on drive. He also loves to cut
and pull. As a Captain he was one of the best in the world.
Australia has produced several brilliant captains among them being
Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.
Ponting joins that illustrious company.During his reign he had two of
the most dreaded bowlers in Glen McGrath and Shane Warne who bowled
Australia to many a victory.
He also had some batsmen who could massacre any bowling attack in
Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Andrew Symonds and Adam
Gilchrist. During his time Australia was also the best fielding side in
the world.
The green baggy caps ruled the cricket world for nearly a decade.
But their fortunes dipped with the retirement of these once in a life
time players. Under new captain Michael Clarke they are now showing
signs of regaining their lost glory.
With Australia unable to win the 2011 World Cup in the sub continent,
started Ponting’s troubles with his critics baying for his removal.
He presented his critics further ammunition when he failed in the tri
series in Australia failing with the bat which led to his dropping from
the Australian one-day squad.
Stung to the quick by his dropping, Ponting announced that he was
quitting the one-day scene and would concentrate on the established
game, saying he was available for selection if the selectors and the
country needed him.
Kept faith
The Australian selectors led by former Test player John Inverarity
kept faith in him and picked him for the Three Test series in the
Caribbean and although not making big runs on those slow batting tracks
in the Caribbean, did enough at crucial moments and his crowning moment
was when he became the second highest run scorer in Test cricket.
Critics are still baying for his quitting. But Ponting let his bat do
the talking and he has done enough to hold his place in the team for
many more years to come. The 37-year old is fit as his movements on the
field in West Indies showed and skipper Clarke has made it known that he
needs the veteran in his team.
Clarke who is shaping up to join former illustrious Australian
captains will love to have Ponting by his side and seek his advice when
faced with tricky situations on the field.
‘Tiger’ Chanderpaul
Known as ‘Tiger’ in the Caribbean, Shivnarine Chanderpaul has served
West Indies cricket well over the years and his notching up 10,000 runs
in Test cricket is a great and a rare achievement.
Hailing from Guyana, where famous West Indian cricketers sprouted
such as Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharan and Ramnaresh Sarwan,Chanderpaul
too is a Guyanese and every time he takes strike has done his best for
Windies cricket.
With an ungainly stance, his feet facing mid wicket, which is not a
stance for youngsters to copy, he is in line with the ball when it meets
bat.
He is certainly not in the mould of famous Windies left handers who
were known to pulverize any attack, such as Garfield Sobers, Roy
Fredricks, Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara.
But Chanderpaul will stick it out and no way will he sacrifice his
wicket. He was in top batting form in recent Test series against
Australia scoring a century in the First Test and regularly going over
the half century mark. There is a lot more cricket left in him. Like
Australia’s Ricky Ponting he too is 37.
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