'Sri Lanka - a streak team' (18 May 1999)
An article published in the widely circulated newspaper here has described the "Sri Lankans as a streak team
18-May-1999
18 May 1999
'Sri Lanka - a streak team'
Clifford Landers
An article published in the widely circulated newspaper here has
described the "Sri Lankans as a streak team. When it starts winning
it takes a brick wall to stop it, but when it starts losing it tends
to keep losing".
This description was made in the Special World Cup layout of the
Herald Sun newspaper on Tuesday by its columnist Robert Craddock, a
person most Sri Lankan cricket followers here love to hate for his
disturbing comments during the Lankan tour here early this year.
The rest of the article read, "They were the hunters, motivated by
rival teams' boycotts of their country during the 1996 World Cup,
which they duly won". This time they are the hunted, the defending
champions, an ageing team defending glory won when they were younger
and sharper.
There is a theory the Sri Lankans have gone a little soft since the
last World Cup. Set up for life by the riches showered upon them
after their most deserved victory against Australia in the 1996 final
in Lahore, the Lankans were never as hungry again.
Coach Dav Whatmore resigned because he felt he could not get the side
to train as hard as he wanted. His replacement, Bruce Yardley, came
and went soon after, failing to break the dictatorship of captain
Arjuna Ranatunga.
Sri Lanka bombed out in Australia this summer, but that means
nothing. It did the same thing four years ago then, two months later,
won the Cup with the greatest display of sustained batting aggression
the event has seen.
It is rich in talent and has the most experienced side in this year's
competition. In Aravinda de Silva, Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya and
Romesh Kaluwitharana, it has a top order which can shake the world on
its day.
Perhaps it will not be able to bat with the brutal force that won it
the 1996 World Cup because England in May means soft and difficult
wickets.
This will be the swan song World Cup for a group of players including
Ranatunga who will bow out in the next year.
Meanwhile, on behalf of Sri Lanka's cricket followers and supporters
here in Australia, I wish Arjuna and his team the best of wishes in
retaining the World Cup for the second time in succession."
Source :: The Daily News (https://www.lanka.net/lakehouse/)