Sri Lanka Lifting Cricket World Cup – 1996
It ain’t over till the fat lady sings, folks.
Nanda Wanninayaka
December 3, 2023
You will be surprised to hear this from someone like me, but a little after 1996 Cricket World Cup which was deservedly won by Sri Lanka beating “their” (then) arch rival Australia, I found myself an ardent Australia supporter in cricket, whatever form of the game, even when “the former” played against Australia herself, due to obvious reasons.
Well, now Sri Lanka’s arch rival is poor Bangladesh for the simple reason that the former was hammered mercilessly by the latter in “their” own backyard a couple times.
This switch of arch rival from Australia to Bangladesh itself tells us all about the low levels of cricket in Sri Lanka has gone down to. No offense intended to a magnificent Bangladeshi team whose success was temporarily dragged down by the Moronic Sri Lanka Cricket (MSLC) with their brainless decision to “steal” their Sri Lanka born head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha sheepishly. Bangladeshi young men have repeatedly displayed what a formidable cricketing unit they are with or without Hathurusingha ever since.
Australia are a “team” whereas Sri Lanka are a bunch of solitary buffoons who are aloof yet every such single clown in the team wants to “captain” the so-called “National Team” while none of them has, at least, cemented their place in the team with their merits but thanks to their religious affiliations that have (reportedly) occurred through sort-of-forced or/and unethical religious conversions.
Yet, Sri Lanka have a bountiful unconditional support base and nobody will, I am certain, miss me with a Sri Lanka flag in Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, I guess.
Call me a traitor, but I would be delighted to wield an Australian Blue Ensign at Pallekele, Lord’s or at the MCG when the Aussies play their minnow counterparts from Sri Lanka because both my organization (Horizon Lanka Foundation) and I learn a lot from the Australian team and Cricket Australia.
We learn a lot from “Sri Lanka’s arch rivals”, Australia. Both Australia and “us” are here to WIN or fight till the very end as we both know (bloody well) that “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.”
Nanda Wanninayaka 
For cricket lovers, the challenge lies in choosing a side to support. It revolves around the team that exhibits superior cricket skills. The Australian team is renowned for its resilience and ability to stage comebacks, exemplified by Glen Maxwell’s recent innings. On the flip side, Sri Lanka’s brand of cricket is known for its unorthodox approach. However, Sri Lanka faces challenges in terms of consistency and mental toughness. Historical examples, like Arjuna Ranatunga lifting the World Cup in 1996, indicate that allowing a team to play together for an extended period can lead to improvement. Before that victory, the Sri Lankan team resembled the present-day squad. Providing them with the opportunity to play together for 4-5 years without frequent player rotations could pave the way for a resurgence.
LikeLike