.

Asian Games
Sri Lanka beat Thailand in rugby 15-a-side

By Shirajiv Sirimane reporting from Thailand
Bangkok, Dec. 12 - Sri Lankan contingent taking part in the 13th edition of the Asian Games tasted victory only for the second time when their ruggerites defeated Thailand R 18 (six penalties.) to 6 (two penalties,) after leading 6-nil at the lemons at the Army grounds here last evening.

The Lankan team took to the ground with the physiological pulse factor that they have beaten the hosts on two occasions this year. However the Lankan team found that everything was nor going their way as they could never penetrate the strong Thai deference at any time of the game.

It was only the boots of place kicker Nalaka Weerakkody that did the talking for Sri Lanka while what the other forwards could do was to watch penalties being converted. Their forward line was at time tried to go all alone and there co-ordination the line was not praiseworthy. In contrast the Lankan defence in this game was rock solid and never let the Thai's slip away to reach the Try line.

During the dying stages of the game Nalaka Weerakkody suffered a minor injury and Nilufer Ibrahim booted the last two penalties.

Sri Lankans should also count them lucky since what would be a certain try by the hosts was missed when there forwards fumbled a good pass.

The Thai team's tactic of carrying one of their players during a line out and gaining control of the game was very effective while the Lankan failed very badly in this department.

It was a hard fought affair with the Lankan missing almost all the Line Outs and the Thai team perfectly executing their line. The Sri Lankan play Japan on 16th and the fight in out with either Kazakastan or Taipei for the Bronze medal play off.

Maiya Gunasekera, Chef De Mission of the contingent said that the Thai team has improved tremendously and he was very pleased with the Lankan victory. "It is true that we did not score any tries but we managed to win which now puts us in line for a Bronze" he said. He also said that they would allow Japan to score any amount over them and would be keeping her best for the last game likely to be over Taipei.

The match started after observing two-minute silence in memory of the people who died in a plane crash in Thailand on Friday.

The swimming team which undoubtedly brought the biggest ever shame to the Lankan in the Asian Games history, by being placed one before the last in all their events did a fine job yesterday by cheering the team, proving beyond all reasonable doubt that they are very much better when they are out of the water. One Lankan Coach said that they should have been brought to the Asian Games as a cheering party and not as Swimmers!

To further further illustrate this point, prove this point, Gihan Ranatunge who competed in the 200m individual Medley last morning was placed last (7th).

In the other game Japan trounced Taipei 49-11.

Athletes hit the track

Five Sri Lankan athletes will be seen in action for the first time today when the 13th Asian games athletic competition begins at the newly laid Thammasat Stadium today.

The first athlete to hit the track will be P. Nayananada who will be taking part in the Race Walking event at 7 a.m.

However the cynosure of all eyes will be World Championship Silver Medalist, Susanthika Jayasinghe who takes the starting blocks in the short sprint heats at 2.30 p.m. Susanthika who had to forego two training sessions due to a slight temperature has now fully recovered. She once again assured that mother Lanka could look for two Gold's from her.

Chinthaka Soyza will run in the 100M heats at 3 p.m. and he too is tipped to qualify for the Semi finals which is scheduled to be worked off from 4.50 p.m. onwards. The short sprint final will be on Monday along with the 400 final.

Though Sugath Tilakaratne is likely to have an easy pace entry to the 400m finals, Damayanthi Dharsha has to face the 400m heat almost as a semi final or a final.

She has been drawn up for today's heat along with Chinese number one 400m sprinter, Asian Championship Silver Medallist from Kazakastan and the Bronze medallist from India. Dharsha, who spoke to the Sunday Island said that she has enough experience to beat any one in the Asian Games and run in the finals", she said.

"The Sunday Island" found out that the National Olympic Committee has not forwarded Dharsha's personal best timing (52.9 Se.) achieved at Commonwealth Games for the ASIAD. If this timing was forwarded she would have run on another heat.

Keshani Samarakoon along with will run in 1500m heats at 4 p.m. and her final will be the following day. M. Galappaththi competes in the 1500m final which is worked off as straight final, on Monday.

Thuhashini Selvarathnam was the only Lankan golfer to impress by being placed 9th after the third day of the four-day Individual Championships with a score of 228. Anouk Chanmugam (237) and Shyanika de Silva (245) was in the 15th and 18th positions respectively.

In the men's contest Tissa Chandradasa with a score of 225 had to be content with the 19th slot while Anura Rohan (230) and Lalith Kumara (234) were 28th and 37th. Today is the last day and Lankan golfers are expected to be placed among the 10 to the 35th positions.

Yachtsmen excel

The Lankan yachters who were the first Sri Lankan's to taste victory by winning their first fleet race once again bounced back as a strong medal hopes when their enterprise pair of Laleen Jeerasinghe and P. Janaka was ranked joint second with India and Pakistan, in the penultimate day. They have thus qualified for the final on Tuesday.

In the Enterprise Race 7, which was worked off on the picturesque Pataya beach last morning, the Lankan pair with a score of one, beat India, Hong Kong and Korea first to the first place. In the second event the Lankan duo was third with 3 points falling behind Korea (1 Point.) and Pakistan (2).

However their surfers, Thusal Gunawardene and Lalin Lalendra failed to make an impact.

Today the Lankan Kabaddi team will play their opening game against Nepal and hosts Thailand. Tomorrow the much talked about Lankan Swimmers, Rifle Shooter would make their journey back to Sri Lanka after facing their most disappointing performance, ever.

Meanwhile the AP News Agency adds as follows on the ASIAD Athletic competition.

The Chinese athletes who thrived on turtle blood soup and caterpillar fungus aren't here, so there won't be any of Ma Junren's magic.

But the Asian Games track and field events opening tomorrow may still see the domination of China over Japan and South Korea, with Sri Lanka capturing some medals in the women's events and others picking up one or two here and there.

China did not field all their top athletes at the Asian championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in September but still ran away with 26 golds from 43 events, far ahead of Japan's six. Qatar had three and Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka two each. Chinese women finished with 17 in all.

Of the 43 track and field golds in the last Asian Games in Hiroshima four years ago, China took 22. In Bangkok, there might be only a little variation in that Chinese script.

But the Chinese success at Hiroshima was overshadowed by 11 athletes - including seven swimmers - failing drug tests.

Meanwhile the Bangkok Asian Games Organizing Committee (BAGOC) will present a US$ 100,000 award recognizing the most outstanding performance by an athlete at the 13th Asian Games closing ceremony on December 20.

The Samsung MVP (most Valued Performance) award is being sponsored by Asian Games partner, Samsung Electronics, with the trophy handed to the winning athlete by OCA President Sheik Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah. Samsung Electronics will give the US$ 100,000 cheque to the National Olympic Council of the chosen athlete's country, to be transferred towards the athlete's training and other expenses.

An MVP steering committee, including sports journalists representing all four regions in Asia, BAGOC and OCA representatives, will oversee the selection process and invite all journalists covering the Games to vote for the most deserving athlete.

The steering committee will select the MVP recipient from amongst the top five nominees and the winner of the men's marathon.

Says Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Mr. Abdul Muttaleb Ahmad: "While we were approached by a few National Olympic Councils to present similar awards, the OCA has approved only this MVP award, which will be sponsored exclusively by Samsung for the 13th Asian Games, Bangkok".

Saunders bask in the glory of FA Cup

By Barnard Perera
As predicted the Bristol FA Cup final ended in a thrilling finish yesterday with Saunders SC beating Renown SC 3-2 at Sugathadasa Stadium. With this win Saunders has won the title on five occasions.

Saunders displayed all their tactics for 28 minutes to reach the net to take the lead. Chathura Maduranga headed the ball to the net when Karunaratne sent a neat lob from the right corner. Renown SC too used all their efforts to equalize before the breather. Earlier Isuru Perera's direct hit at goal was saved by custodian Francis which resulted for this corner, which also produced the early goal for Saunders. Saunders led 1-0 at lemons.

After the turnover Renown SC played a complete different game to baffle the Saunders outfit but failed to score.

In the seventeenth minute Karunaratne made no mistake with a cross that came his way from Rafeek to score the second one for Saunders which gave them a 2-0 lead. Once again Chathuranga Karunaratne combination increased the lead to 3-0.

Renown SC fought hard for ten more minutes. In the 32nd minute Anton Silva reduced the lead to 3-1. Renown took full control of the game at this stage.

Their striker was on a solo mission to score. Saunders custodian had nothing else to do and trampled the oncoming striker outside the goal area. This incident paved the way for Renown to have a free kick. Anton Silva sent in the ball to the nets which puzzled the custodian who replaced the regular custodian Francis who was sent out with the red card coming from the incident that took place earlier. Saunders held on grimly to their lead until the final whistle.

Altogether a total of four yellow cards were shown. The only red card was shown to Saunders custodian M. Francis.

Before the commencement of the game both teams were introduced to Godfried Thome Chief Executive Officer of the Sponsor Ceylon Tobacco Company. Sunil Senaweera controlled the game.

Cricket boss will not make public cricketers salaries

by Srian Obeyesekere
Saturday night was a big occasion for Sri Lankan cricket. The echo of drums, Kandyan style. The whirl of camera lights as Sanath Jayasuriya was ushered in to a tumultuous welcome at the Taj Samudra Hotel. Soon, the local boss of the game, Thilanga Sumathipala was extolling from the virtues the virtues of the man of the occasion, Sanath Jayasuriya to further developing the game here. Jayasuriya's batting skills of course got the full measure of his address as he touched on the dynamism of the Lankan opening batsman's strokeplay which had made him a household name from his native country to over the globe.

The occasion was the felicitation of Sanath Jayasuriya by CEAT as its 'Cricketer of the Year' for 1997-'98.

But only several hours earlier, the local cricket chief had been unwilling to divulge the salaries of the national cricketers. That was when the 'Sunday Island', last morning inquired from the Cricket Board top brass as to what the quantum of the salaries of the Sri Lankan cricketers were as the newspaper felt it was its duty to tell the public not only about their achievements, but also their wages.

But the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) would not have anything of that. "You tell me your salary then", said. The 'Sunday Island' pointed out that the functions of a newspaper was to serve the reading public. However, he was firm on his stand.When we told him that our Editor wanted this story, the BCCSL President said the same thing. "Ask him to state his salary."

While not belittling the cricketers their dues,the general public,the tax payers are entitled to know what their salaries are.

When Cricket Boards were hit for sixers by six!

by Mahinda Wijesinghe
The recent problem the West Indies Cricket Board had with their players, led by skipper Brian Lara and Carl Hooper who demanded higher wages for the historic South African tour brought back memories of similar clashes players had with their respective Cricket Boards. 76 years ago, six Australian Test players, namely, the legendary Victor Trumper, Clem Hill, Warwick Armstrong, Vernon Ransford, Albert Cotter and wicket-keeper Hanson Carter, dubbed the ‘Big Six’ by the press, defied the Australian Board. They demanded that the Manager for the tour, to participate in the triangular series to be staged in England with South Africa as the third team, should be, as was the custom at that time, their nominee. No , said the Board. The players wanted McAllister, the Board appointed Crouch and would not budge.

MAKING THE PLAYERS PAY FOR THE MANAGER
The players wrote to the Board and stated that if the players were not given the option of selecting their own Manager "with much regret none of us will be available for selection, or to play, if selected". The players’ grouse was that "the Board proposes to send to England a representative clothed with the powers of manager and to charge his travelling and other expenses against the takings of the tour, in other words, making the players pay them."

THE TEAM WAS SOCIALLY OSTACISD
The Australian Cricket Board was not going to be browbeaten, Trumper, Hill, Armstrong et al notwithstanding. The team left without the rebellious six. The tour was certainly not a success, the depleted Australian side winning only two games, against the comparative newcomers to the Test arena, South Africa. They lost matches and money and returned in disgrace. As Manager Crouch reported at the end of the tour: "The players had conducted themselves so badly in England that the team was socially ostracised."

THE PAKISTANI SIX WHO HIT THE BOARD FOR SIX
A little over six decades later, in 1976, another gang of six Pakistani Test cricketers– fancy how this figure of six keeps recurring – shook the establishment by demanding higher wages on the eve of the Australian tour. The six rebels were: Majid Khan (now a highly-placed official in the Pakistani Cricket Board – a classic case of a poacher turned game-keeper!), Musthaq Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, wicket-keeper Wasim Bari, Sadiq Mohammad and Imran Khan. Their spokesman, Musthaq said: "Originally, we wanted Rs.2,000/- per Test instead they offered Rs.1,500/-. It was then decreased to Rs.1,000/-. We are being asked to fight for peanuts. Pakistan players don’t want to join the hamburger queues". In the meantime, former Australian Test all-rounder, the flamboyant Keith Miller who had come to Pakistan to play a series of festival games, volunteered to negotiate for the players. Miller was politely told by the players that "they can conduct their own negotiations with the Board."

MUSTHAQ SACKED AND INTIKHAB APPOINTED
The Pakistan Board sacked Musthaq and appointed Intikhab Alam as captain stating that the former’s conduct as the skipper of Pakistan "in initiating defiance and indiscipline among players was deplorable". Then, Abdul Pirzada, head of the Pakistani Sports Board intervened. Acting on the direct instructions of Pakistani Prime Minister Ali Bhutto, the selected team was scrapped. It also surfaced that the real bone of contention was the then President of the Board, Abdul Hafeez Kardar, described as a "strong-willed autocrat who up until the recent melee, had ruled Pakistan cricket with an iron fist." Though it was Mr.Kardar who first intimated and initiated moves to upgrade Sri Lanka as a Test-playing nation, he was not well regarded by his own countrymen. A contemporary report stated that "one happy effect of this uproar will hopefully be to reduce the power of Mr.Kardar. For too long his often whimsical, often dangerous influence has threatened to turn the International Cricket Conference into a farce. Cricket certainly can do without some of the ideals Mr.Kardar stood for." Now back to the fracas.

NOW INTIKHAB SACKED AND MUSTHAQ REINSTATED
A new selection committee chaired by Hanif Mohammad, Musthaq’s elder brother, and comprising of Nazar Mohammad, Waqar Hassan and Musthaq himself was appointed. The new committee reinstated Musthaq as captain and appointed Asif Iqbal as his deputy replacing Zaheer Abbas. All six rebels were included and the Sports Board also acceded to their request of appointing Colonel Shujauddin as Manager instead of former Test wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed described as a Kardar loyalist.

PAKISTAN PLAYER-POWER PAYS
The tour at last took off. It is now history that Pakistan, having been 0-1 in the 3-Test series beat Australia in the final Test when the trounced the hosts by 8 wickets to square the series. Imran Khan, who claimed 6 wickets in each innings for a match-bag of 12/165, and Asif Iqbal (120) who put on a 115-run partnership with a youthful 19-year old Javed Miandad (64) playing in his sixth Test (that figure six again!), being the heroes of this historic Test win – their first in Australia. Proving the point that Pakistan player-power pays.

REFLECTIONS
Cricket Board's seven month expenditure tops Rs.170 m.

by Srian Obeyesekera
The expenditure budget of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) for the period April 1 to October 30, 1998 was a record 175.842 million, according to its statement of accounts. From April 1 to May 15 the BCCSL had expended Rs. 9,930, 843.64 and from May 16 to October 31 a sum of Rs. 160, 457,730.65.

Meanwhile, for the renovation of its headquarters, the BCCSL had spend Rs. 5,454,178.91 from its estimated allocation of Rs. 8,294,186.00 for renovation upto October 30.

From the BCCSL's estimate of accounts for 16.5.1998 to 31.10.'98 what was significant was the sum of Rs. 3,018,050.52 due to the Board from the Asian Cricket Council. Besides the BCCSL had spent a sum of Rs. 98,621.50 during Zimbabwe' tour to Sri Lanka this year, Rs. 1,716,532.73 for Sri Lanka's tour of South Africa this year, Rs. 18,565,796.10 during New Zealand's tour here this year, Rs. 10,634,986.66 for Sri Lanka's tour of England this year, Rs. 36, 654,054.50 for the Independence Cup staged in Sri Lanka this year, Rs. 5,125,425,425.12 when South Africa 'A' cricketers toured here, Rs. 4,007,29.65 for the tour for the Mini World Cup and Rs. 291,880.50 for the tour of Sharjah and Rs. 1,071,948.70 for the Commonwealth Games.

Meanwhile, the Board also spent a sum of Rs. 13,621,061.50 for the contracts of players. It also spent a sum of Rs. 11,377,046.37 on the Galle Stadium renovation and Rs. 2,943,805.00 for the services by various institutions.

The BCCSL has 12 foreign bank accounts running into a sum of Rs. 113,539, 965.00.

Should a batsman be allowed a runner?

By Mahinda Wijesinghe
A reader from Colombo 5, who prefers to remain incognito under the pseudonym of "SPORTSWATCH", has queried from me the timely question: "Should a batsman be allowed a runner?" Timely because, in the days of yore, when the game was played for the sheer joy of the sport, batsmen in general would not try to take mean advantage of having the services of a runner, unless, it was essential. Today, in the mercenary world of cricket, a dollar-hungry batsman will try every trick he knows to earn the extra buck. In fact, as a recent news item reports that two Australian Test cricketers have been 'on the take' from bookies. So, legislation to prevent ungentlemanly conduct, much in the lines of a 'financial regulation' - sad, but this is where the sport has now descended - should be in the statute.

Presently, Law 2.5, 2.6 & 2.7 deals with the conditions under which a runner is allowed. Surmmarised, they are as follows:

* A runner is allowed for a batsman who becomes injured or ill during the match and the runner should be a member of the batting side, and if possible have already batted. The runner should wear the same external protective equipment as the injured batsman.

* An injured batsman may be out if the runner breaks any of Laws 33 (Handled the Ball),

* 37 (Obstructing the field) or 38 (Run Out). As striker he is subject to the Laws of the game. Should he (the injured batsman) be out of his ground and the wicket at the wicketkeeper's end be put down, he will be deemed run out or stumped, irrespective of the position of the runner or the other batsman, and no runs shall accrue. When not the striker, the injured batsman should stand where he does not interfere with the play.

ONLY A BURNING DESIRE TO PLAY
This Law was enacted when cricket was simply a summer sport and not played for megabucks. So, in those days, if a player came into a game and asked for a runner, due to a previous injury, or was feigning illness simply because of unfitness, it was because he just loved to play the game at any cost. There was no question of depriving another of earning a match fee. In those times there was a burning desire to play the game for the sheer joy of it.

For instance, there was a team-mate of mine who played first division cricket, a government servant, who found it difficult to obtain leave from his post on certain week-ends. He was so keen on playing, that he used to appear - AWOL of course, from his station - at the game and play under a slightly changed name!

SCORED TWIN CENTURIES WITH A RUNNER!
Reverting to the original question, should a batsman be allowed a runner? "Sportswatch" contends, quite validly, that "runs are scored not only by the bat but by the legs". It was said that when former England opening batsman, Graeme Fowler, the only batsman in first-class cricket to have scored twin centuries using a runner in both innings - for Lancashire against Warwickshire in the summer of 1982 - 'the fielding side not only applauded the batsman but some fielders also congratulated the tired runner who responded by hoisting his bat in acknowledgement!". There must have been a few grumbles but due to the infrequency of such incidents, and the fact that megabucks were not involved, not much notice was taken of such episodes, except possibly the humour of the situation.

RUNNER MADE THE INNINGS EASIER
Can the same be said when Saeed Anwar of Pakistan, using a runner (he had the services of fleet-footed Shahid Afridi), due to heat exhaustion and loss of fluid, reported the Wisden Almanack scored 194 against India at Madras during the 1996-97 Pepsi Independence Cup? No, because there were high financial stakes involved. With this knock Anwar became the holder of the highest scorer in One-day Internationals eclipsing West Indian Viv Richards who blitzed a hurricane 189 - he did not have the services of a runner - against England at Old Trafford in 1984. Indian skipper Tendulkar himself described Anwar's innings as 'the best he had seen' and former Indian skipper Bishen Bedi stated that this was a 'once in a lifetime' innings. Yet, former New Zealand skipper now turned TV commentator, Glenn Turner, astutely observed that the runner made the innings much easier. For the record, - Anwar scored 194 from a mere 146 balls including 22 fours and 5 sixes, including 3 in succession off leg-spinner Kumble who conceded 26 runs (226664) to Anwar in that over! Hardly, the type of batting expected of a batsman who was suffering from heat exhaustion, and if he had to do the running himself...

ALLAN BORDER HOOTED AT THE P. SARA STADIUM
Of course, sometimes the fielding side skipper objects when a runner is requested. Funnily enough, in the match where Anwar made his record score, the Pakistanis themselves objected when Tendulkar acted as runner for Indian batsman Dravid, after sometime! Another instance was the occasion Sri Lanka played Australia at the P. Sara Stadium in 1992/93. As the Wisden Almanack (1994) reported: "....Ranatunga tore 20 runs from McDermott's ninth over, including sixes over point and extra-cover. After these exertions he complained of damaged stomach muscles and needed a runner." As a spectator I remember the incident when Australian skipper Border's objections to umpires Cooray and Wickremasinghe were hooted down by the local crowd. Once again, it was Ranatunga who had a run-in with the Australians during the acrimonious 1995-96 tour at Sydney on account of the same problem of a runner. As Ian Healy, the Australian wicket-keeper wrote in his autobiography referring to this incident: "I had a heated run-in with him (Ranatunga) during the last World Series final in Sydney when he was granted a runner after being supposedly injured". Well could Ranatunga claim that a runner was allowed, this time, in their own country!

THE BOWLER HAS NO SUCH LUCK
There is no question, although there is a slight disadvantage when somebody else does the judging and the running, the advantages of a runner outweigh it. Chief of which is the lack of tiredness when there is a runner doing the work. It is not the easiest of tasks for a batsman to take strike immediately, after running a couple of quick runs, against (say) Allan Donald. No wonder, Glenn Turner said that Anwar's record-breaking innings was made easier by the presence of a runner. It is not the easiest of jobs to bat when there is constant running. Yet, if a bowler leaves the field, he is not allowed, by the Laws, to bowl until he has spent a like amount of time after he has returned to the field.

SEND IN YOUR VIEWS
So, what is the remedy? The principal idea is that a batsman must earn his runs from the sweat of his own brow. SPORTS WATCH makes quite a few suggestions, chief of which are:

* Withdraw the facility of a runner altogether. An injured batsman must retire.

* Allow a batsman to retire on injury and return with a runner after (say) 2 wickets have fallen.

Allow a runner for a specified time or a number of overs after which he must retire or dispense with the runner and continue batting.

Disallow runs by the runner, allowing the injured batsman only runs scored in boundaries. What are your views on this matter? You could e-mail (mahindaw@sri.lanka.net) it or send by post to my attention C/o "The Sunday Island" - Sports Desk, 223 Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13. I shall discuss your views along with mine at the earliest available opportunity.

Hair splitting controversies and the Aussie tour

By Jatila Karavita
Sri Lanka's impending cricket tour of Australia seems to be running into all sorts and types of controversies judging by the reports reaching this country from some of the foreign news agencies. what with Australian umpire Darrell Hair embroiled in a simmering controversy regarding the unorthodox bowling action of off-spinner Muttiah Muralitheran now threatening to take legal action against BCCSL President Thilanga Sumathipala for accusing him of bias for having no-balled Muralitheran in 1995. It is learnt that Hair has already written to the sports governing body ICC threatening legal action if Sri Lankan Board President Thilanga Sumathipala's alleged statements to the press could be substantiated.

Last week in what turned out to be quite a sensational development in this Darrell Hair- Muttiah Muralitheran scandal the former decided to willingly stand-down from officiating in any of Sri Lanka's matches in a triangular one day international tournament with Australia and England due to start in January following the release Of his autobiography which graphically revealed his intentions for calling Muralitheran in the boxing day test in 1995. The cricket Board meanwhile went further ahead on this thorny issue by complaining to the ICC that Hair has breached cricket's code of conduct by writing in his book "decision-maker" that Muralitheran's action was diabolical.


Umpire Hair
Thilanga Sumathipala
Muralitharan
Sri Lanka has always defended their No 1 off spinner saying he was born with a permanently bent arm which cannot be Straightened after medical tests proved beyond any doubt that his bent arm was a family trait which as a matter of fact all his family members too have.

What all these events seem to suggest and imply is that for all its importance Sri Lanka's upcoming sojourn in " down-under " promises to be choke-full-of interest more than performances on field , the ones off the field enacted by Hair and Company. As for the actual performance of Sri Lanka in the Carlton and United series I feel the local cricket lovers guess as to the final outcome would be as good as mine. With all these behind the scenes dramas having an alarming effect on the mentality of each and every player in the fifteen man squad the reigning one-day world champions by all counts would be hard-pressed to give even the "poms " a run for their money let alone the mighty Aussies.

One thing though that may be in favour of the world champs would be that they may not have anything left to lose, after an unprecedented five successive defeats in the one day version of the game, two consecutive, in Bangladesh and Sharjah, the world series cup in Australia looms large more or less as a make or break tour for the one time top-dogs in world one day cricket ahead of the 1999 cricket world cup in United Kingdom. The team from the Emerald Island which currently has plummeted to the one but the last spot in the latest one day international ratings in the aftermath of their form reversal will certainly have their work cut out for them to keep the marauding batsmen of the calibre of Australians Adam Gilchrist, Mark and Skipper Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Tom Moody, Darren Lehmann, Justin Langer and Englishmen Mike Atherton, Skipper Alec Stewart, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain, Graeme Hick, and Mark Ramprakash silent for long periods.

Equally demanding for the Sri Lankans would be to counter-attack the bowlers of the class of Aussies Glen MacGrath, Jason Gillespie, Damien Flemming, Mike Kasprovicz, Colin Miller, Stuart Mcgill and the Master leggie Shane Warne (subject to fitness) and Englishmen Darren Gough, Alex Tudor, Alan Mullaly, Dominic Cork, Angus Frazer, Robert Croft and Peter Such. Even against such a bleak scenario where Sri Lanka possess a well balanced squad which includes batsmen of the cavalier Lankan mould of Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Marvan Atapattu , Aravinda de Silva, Skipper Ranathunga, Roshan Mahanama, Hashan Thilakarathne, and bowlers such as Muralitheran, Upul Chandana, Tilan Samaraweera, Chaminda Vass, Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Suresh Perera and Nuwan Soyza both Australia and England will need to take the World Champions a bit more seriously rather than merely treating the Sri Lankans as " write-off" material. But added to all this what is bound to be looked after with abated interest and keenness by all fans and critics alike here will be the form and fitness of two key players namely Aravinda de Silva and Muttiah Muralitheran who have been given a deadline till December 23 of this month to prove their physical condition to tour Australia by the Cricket Board. And if by any chance these two vital linchpins of the side were to miss out on this very crucial tour of Australia, task for the world cup holders to restore and redeem their lost pride and prestige would be made that much more difficult on Aussie soil.

Last but not least, the local cricketers who carry the much envied tag of "World Champions", and having become multimillionaires since lifting the Wills World Cup in 1996, will also have to justify their recent trebling of salaries by the Cricket Board when they stride to make an impact in Australia in the new-year.

| NEWS | PROVINCIAL | POLITICS | EDITORIAL | DEFENCE | FEATURES | LEISURE | BUSINESS | ADS |