Thursday 23rd April, 2009 15

One time rivals, now pals; (L) and India’s , in conversation. Sachin on Sanath ack in 2008, Sachin Tendulkar I had always known Sanath and nation. So, we have mostly decided was in Australia gearing up for admired him for his cricketing abili- that it is he who will go after the Bthe Test and One-day series ties. I knew him as an opponent, a bowlers, while I drop anchor. when the call came from business fierce one, whose natural instincts Last year, you missed the first tycoon Mukesh Ambani asking the make him one of the most dangerous six matches. Did that hamper An E-mail spread during the 2007 World Cup campaign of in the Caribbean where they master batsman his choice of players of all times. He is a naturally gifted preparations? lost in the final to Australia. The ‘real’ war in the north has displaced the ‘war’ that was seen in to represent the . player and has the ability to dominate It is great that we’re together this the field of in this island nation. (Files) Before Tendulkar could think of a game single-handedly. He has the time right from the beginning. The anyone else, the one name that came shots, the power and the timing. last time, I wasn’t there, Harbhajan to his mind instantly was that of Now that the two of you are was missing and even Lasith Sanath Jayasuriya. Buy him at any teammates, what is the general (Malinga) was out. So, in a way, we Vellamullivaikkal cost, was the reply. discussion that goes on between were missing three key players. But It has been a year and half now the two? this time with everybody around, that Tendulkar and Jayasuriya are a Of course, we discuss a lot of there’s more freedom to try and do part of one team and that too as a things between ourselves, but mostly things differently right from the start. dream opening pair. we’ve done a lot of that over the last Do you discuss batting with and IPL In the last one year, Tendulkar has many years. We like to exchange Sanath before or after every he war, waged end stages of the decisive The game of cricket seen a lot of the Matara Marauder notes, talk about the game in general. match? amidst blood and 30-year-old civil war in Sri came to the forefront of from close quarters, closer than the Now that we are in the same squad, With Sanath, everything is instinc- Ttears, has taken its Lanka. the local popular dis- times when the left-hander was at his we discuss more about what we’re tive. Before the match, he might be toll, from a sporting per- In cricketing terms, course as it represented best and also his fiercest opponent. going to do as a pair. Plan ahead of very calm and might appear to be con- spective, of the popularity Sri Lanka waged a popu- the aspirations of the Today, Tendulkar has the privilege the game, prepare, study the weak- centrating very hard. On the field that was set aside for lar ‘war’ against the majority of the masses to discuss the joys of batting along- nesses of the opponent and strategise though, he can get real destructive. cricket in Sri Lanka. Australians under Mark here. People in the coun- side Jayasuriya. In an interview with accordingly. He’s a responsible cricketer. However, Amidst this real war, the Taylor, way back in 1996 try always wanted some- Times of India, he spoke about the Is it decided that Jayasuriya we keep suggesting things to each ‘war’ in the field of cricket and then under Ricky thing substantial to justify man and the legend. will go after the bowlers while you other, like how to tackle a particular has taken a more subordi- Ponting in 2007, in the their national identity. will play the anchor role? situation. nate, if not nonexistent, World Cup final cricket In 1996, when Sri Excerpts... Yes, you can say that. He is very (Times of India) role in the public con- encounters. Lanka won the Wills Your views on Sanath quick in getting off to aggressive science in Sri Lanka. As the stalwarts of World Cup beating Mark Jayasuriya, the cricketer starts, has a superb hand-eye coordi- As the public eye Lankan cricket at present, Taylor’s Australians in focuses more on ranging from Kumar the finals in Lahore, it Puthukkudiyiruppu, Sangakkara to Sanath was a ‘war,’ won without Ampalavanpokkanai, Jayasuriya, are engaged any bloodshed. A nation Table Tennis Putumattalan and in an ‘artificial’ battle in stood behind Arjuna and Mobitel-Relay Carnival Vellamullivaikkal in the the IPL in South Africa Co. eastern coastal belt of Sri these days, it is high time It was almost identi- Coaching Camp Lanka, the attention to remember the fact that cal when Sri Lanka met becomes dull the same opposi- in Jaffna from May 4-6 on the field of tion, then under cricket. That’s Ponting, in 2007 by Manjula D. Phillips how the in the Caribbean human dis- World Cup final. The newly appointed TTASL Committee course works The real war, for 2009/10, headed by , naturally. though, has come President, TTASL and the Minister of People are to fill that space Urban Development has decided to popu- watching, in now. major parts of the island they are all but sub- When it comes to larise Table Tennis in the country and to nation of Sri Lanka, how servient to the battles that cricket, Sangakkara and raise the level of the game. The new presi- the Sri Lankan army is are waged, even though Co. will have to act more dent has promised to provide a suitable por- ‘finishing off ’ the threat of how fierce they are, in the genuinely in their role of tion of land to build an indoor stadium for Velupillai Pirapaharan, Vanni warfront in the representing their coun- TT in Sri Lanka. the leader of the North of Sri Lanka. try.When the Windies and In an effort to promote the game in the Liberation Tigers of Brigadier Shavendra Silva the Aussies opted quite Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Due of the 58th Brigade of the adamantly to play for island, the committee has decided to pro- to this the Indian Premier Sri Lanka army is more a their country amidst a mote the game in Jaffna after a lapse of sev- Leisha de Silva Chandrasena, the chairperson of Sri Lanka Telikom Mobitel League being played in national hero now than similar IPL hullaballoo, eral years. A. H. Hazari, Chairman, hands over the sponsorship cheque of the Mobitel-Relay Carnival to Palitha South Africa stays far Jayasuriya who held sway the Lankan stalwarts Serendib Medicals (Pvt) Ltd., who are the Fernando, the president of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka at a press con- behind. a decade or so ago. stuck to their lucrative sole agents in Sri Lanka for STAG equip- ference on Tuesday. Also in the picture are Chandana Ekanayake, Treasurer AA, Renowned linguist IPL and Social IPL contracts to show ment has come forward to assist the TTASL Prema Pinnawala, Secretary AA, Suren J. Amarasekara, CEO Mobitel and Anil Ferdinand de Saussure, Discourse nothing but their greed for to promote TT in Jaffna. Weerasinghe, Secretary, Sri Lanka Schools AA. (Pic by Jude Denzil Patiraja) elaborated that every field De Saussure was a financial gain. of knowledge is language- Swiss linguist whose After The Jaffna Table Tennis Association has bound. Human thinking ideas laid a foundation for Puthukkudiyiruppu and requested Chandana Perera, the General The Mobitel-Relay Carnival, the The event attracts a large number of is, of course, language- many significant develop- Vellamullivaikkal, the Secretary of the TTASL to conduct a coach- first competition of the year, jointly school teams from around the island based and therefore ments in the subject of much celebrated popular ing camp in Jaffna as an initial measure to organized by the Athletic Association who will compete in six age groups in belongs to linguistic linguistics in the 20th cen- icons like Sangakkara will of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Schools both Boys’ and Girls’ categories. knowledge. tury. have to prove a point. How promote and develop TT in Jaffna and Athletic Association will be worked off While 66 teams will compete in the Chandana Perera has expressed his willing- from May 4-6 at the Sugathadasa Boys’ Relay Championship, 57 teams Vellamullivaikkal, one But what obviously could the game of cricket ness to commence the coaching camp in Stadium. will vie for the Girls’ title. last area in the Vanni came out of his findings, survive after the real pop- coastline that is allegedly as far as the subject of lin- ular (national) social rep- June this year. The three day event will offer local Nine men’s teams and seven athletes their first taste of competition women’s teams will compete in the the refuge of the leaders guistics is concerned, is resentation was seen and of the year and will be a vital experi- open category. of the LTTE for their pro- the fact that we, all experienced in the Vanni ence, particularly for junior athletes Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s tection, is the focal point human beings, are lan- war front? Time will only ahead of several international competi- heptathlon will be held simultaneously. in what is said to be the guage-based. provide the answer. tions.

Sri Lanka schools bowled over by cricket gear Schools in Sri Lanka are or wanted. and even turned up at the “We have a good relation- “Cricket is their national about to receive equipment Volunteers then loaded a school to help collect everything ship with Sri Lanka and already sport so it is vital that they are donated from cricket clubs and container full of the goods at St ready for shipping. have a support centre for young- able to play and get involved Dr. A. H. Hazari hands over TT equipment schools in Wigan. Mary’s Church of England, in Gill Dickinson, of the sters with learning disabilities. with sport. to L. Ongaramoorthy, President, Jaffna Through the Epiphany Lowton, ready to be shipped off Epiphany Trust, said: “We have “The request came from “We are delighted with the Table Tennis Association and the Trust, based in Newton-le- to schools in the Colombo area been to various schools and col- them because after the Tsunami amount which has been collect- Principal of Jaffna Central College, in Willows and Lowton, cricket of Sri Lanka. lected desk furniture and crick- a lot of cricket equipment was ed in Wigan – it’s of huge value Jaffna. Chandana Perera, General clubs across the North West Sky cricket commentator et gear has been collected by lost which meant they could no to the people of Sri Lanka.” Secretary, TTASL is also in the picture. have been collecting cricket David Lloyd has also lent his cricket clubs in the North West. longer play a sport which is (Wigan Evening Post) gear which is no longer needed help and support to the project very important to them.