Wednesday 18th May, 2011 15 was given the opportunity to captain enough for me. I made a lot of friends ported the team and the most important the Sri Lanka ‘B’ team to too playing cricket. The most important thing was that we got the prominence. Zimbabwe. It was like a come thing is the respect you have among We were the underdogs. I must say, our down. Being Sri Lanka’s vice- your peers. You can’t demand respect, guys batted superbly. captain, dropped from the you have to earn it. Question: Talk us through Sidath side and they are asking Question: Were you told the reasons Wettimuny’s knock. To date, the longest me to captain the ‘B’ to be left out of the side after scoring 80 ever Test innings played at the Home of team. I was at runs in your last international game? Cricket. Maharajahs at that Roy: At that time, out of the 14 play- Roy: Well, whatever Ian Botham time. Mr. ers who played in that (1987) World Cup, bowled, Sidath was driving and driving. Rajamahendran called eight were left out, including Rumesh It was an amazing piece of batting. me and said, ‘you Ratnayake. They said they wanted to try David Gower was England’s captain and should take it’. That’s young blood, but Rumesh was only a he got Botham to bowl right up to why I respect him a lot. young kid. I thought that was disap- Sidath and I realised that there was no Then I called my wife pointing for Rumesh too. In 1989, I was way he was going to get Sidath out that Tharanga and said taken back to the Sri Lankan team to way. He batted beautifully that day. The there’s something like tour Sharjah. We played three games, papers next day said, ‘Gem of an this. Then she asked me but I never got a chance to play. The 1990 innings’. We must not forget Duleep whether I wanted to still tour to England, I had a good chance of Mendis. Duleep’s was an amazing play for Sri Lanka. I said, captaining after winning the Inter- knock. Then Amal came and got that ‘of course, that’s why I am Provincial Tournament. I had a stint in hundred in the second innings. Once playing club cricket’. She Holland and I gave the then Chairman again, I was batting with Amal and persuaded me to take it as of Selectors a letter saying that if my Botham had three on the leg and bowled well. That turned out to be a services were needed, I would definitely bouncers at him. Amal kept on pulling superb tour. That was the come back for training. I remember him and Botham couldn’t’ get him out. first time any Sri Lankan Aravinda came home a day before I left They thought they could get Amal with side won a series away from for Holland. He’s very close to me and the short ball, but that backfired. home. Michael Tissera was he asked me why I was leaving. He said, Likewise, they thought they could get Roy Dias the Manager of the side. ‘you have to come back to captain the Sidath by bowling up to him full and Pic by Nimal Dayaratne Newspapers in Harare at that side’. I said, ‘I know I have to come that was also wrong. It was sad for time said that their national back, but I have to go now’. I took Duleep to get out on 94 in the second players didn’t want to play a clothes only for one month thinking I innings. To get twin hundreds at Lord’s Sri Lanka ‘B’ team would be coming back. But would have been a great achieve- because the tour- ment. ing team was Question: Do you regret weak and missing out on getting your name in the Lord’s Honours Board? Roy: I never thought of that at that moment. In 1998, when I was the coach of the Sri Lankan side, we were at Lord’s and I saw the names of three Sri Lankan players in that Honours Board. I thought that’s great to have so many BY REX CLEMENTINE ‘Viv was returning to the pavilion after taking a look at (Continued from yesterday) the wicket and Rumesh was facing him. In his inim- n this second interview in our seg- itable style he said, ‘Good luck maan’.Then Rumesh ment ‘Lords at Lord’s,’ Roy Dias Idwells on the ups and downs of his said that he’s not playing. So, as he walked past me cricket career and provides further again said, ‘Good luck maan’.Then Rumesh said, ‘Roy proof of his obsession with technique. He reveals that the greatest complement is not playing either’.Viv asked, ‘What, drop this on his batting came from the inimitable maan? Are they crazy?’ In the same World Cup, Viv Richards, while Sunil Gavaskar’s appreciation comes a close second. ‘Sportstar’ Magazine published in India asked Viv to He also speaks on the hundred plus name his World XI. Believe me, he slotted me in at stands he put on with Sidath Wettimuny and Amal Silva in the historical 1984 number three in his World XI. I thought that was one of Lord’s Test, the disappointment of not the greatest complements I have got in my cricket being able to get his name on the Lord’s Honours Board and lots more. career.’ Here are the excerpts: Question: You explained how coach- we are not playing. Let’s go to the nets, I es those days drilled the proper tech- there were just Roy Dias and Hashan will bowl and you play a few shots.’ Viv nique into young cricketers. Do cricket Tillakaratne (as top players) in that was returning to the pavilion after tak- coaches nowadays drill the importance side. They had instead wanted to prac- ing a look at the wicket and Rumesh of technique into young cricketers? tise in the nets as they were not happy was facing him. In his inimitable style Roy: They do it no doubt. But One- to play the Sri Lanka ‘B’ team. he said, ‘Good luck maan’. Then Day cricket and T-20s have changed it. If Zimbabwe then had David Houghton, Rumesh said that he’s not playing. So, you take even the IPL, all the top run John Traicos, Andy Pycroft and every- as he walked past me, again said, ‘Good getters are technically correct players. I one. Ultimately we won the ODIs and luck maan’. Then Rumesh said, ‘Roy is remember what Viv Richards said when beat Zimbabwe ‘B’ by an innings. Then not playing either’. Viv asked, ‘What, Gordon Greenidge was dropped. He said they had to put the full side and we drop this maan? Are they crazy?’ I just performance is temporary, but class is drew with them. People like Hashan, kept quiet. We were innocent those permanent. I think that’s correct. If you Athula Samarasekara, Gamini days. In that game, he went onto hit 181 take the top five batsmen in the world or Wickramasinghe, Ashlely de Silva and against us and as he was returning to for that matter the top ten players, they all got prominence after that tour. That ultimately I was told that I was too old names up there. Then I thought for a the pavilion after getting out, I stood up are all technically correct. That’s what was one of the best tours I had. to captain the side. Ultimately, Aravinda moment, well I could have got my name from the dressing room and he took the counts and that will take you a long way. Question: Sir Viv Richards naming was appointed captain. engraved there too. Anyway, for a bats- bat out and pointed at me. I thought it If you have the proper technique, you you in his World XI, is that the greatest Question: In the 1984 Lord’s Test, man, you always want to get runs. But I was great of him. In the evening, we tend to play straight. I watch Sachin a complement you have received in your you scored 32 runs in the first innings felt good for that 30 odd because every- were having a function and he said lot and even in T-20s, the way he bats cricketing career? and 38 in the second. How big a disap- one was appreciating it. I was lucky to there’s something crazy about Sri shows that he has not forgotten his tech- Roy: I must say that Sunil Gavaskar pointment was it to get out to relatively watch Sidath, Amal, Arjuna and Duleep Lankan cricket if they are not going to nique. But when he plays a bad shot, has given me some fabulous comple- low score when three of your team- in close quarters and I have no regrets. play you. In the same World Cup, I don’t then you say, ‘I say that’s very unlikely ments too. I remember the one off Test mates scored hundreds? Question: Aravinda was making his know whether you remember, the of Sachin. Why is he doing that?’ I in Madras in 1982 where I got 97. I was Roy: It was disappointing. But I was debut in that Test and Arjuna was quite ‘Sportstar’ magazine published in India learned a lot from Sunil Gavaskar as caught in the slips by Gavaskar and happy for guys like Sidath and Duleep, young.