Monday 23rd May, 2011 15 Arjuna Ranatunga Bandula Warnapura ‘Bandula said, ‘You are not going anywhere. You are too young to go and you have a long career ahead of you.’ He never allowed me to go on that tour. By that time my mother also had spoken to some people and had delved deep into the matter.That’s why I respect Bandula a lot. Him being the captain, he should have taken me had he been self- Lanka was. We always wanted to impress and even glad both my parents were there when we beat ish. But he looked at while travelling for games we used to wear blaz- England for the first time in a Test Match on ers. There was something called the disciplinary English soil. I was confident that we could do it. the bigger picture and committee within the team and I was heading You know I had this gut feeling about things. I certainly my future. that. If I couldn’t shave one day, one of the com- remember telling my mother to be there in Lahore mittee members will come and say, ‘Sorry, today before we played the World Cup final, because I The person who you are fined two pounds.’ The important thing knew we were going to win the World Cup. was that everyone was told that you are represent- Similarly, I was keen to have both my parents for approached me told ing the nation and not to let your country down. that Test Match. I told them, ‘come and watch your me that I was going to That brought in a special breed of cricketers by son beating England in England’. I am very proud the time I was leading the side. of that achievement and from there on England get Rs. 30 lakhs. I did- Question: You were left out of Sri Lanka’s have ensured that they will only give us three Test n’t know what Rs. 30 tour to England in 1991. What happened? series and one off Test Matches are a thing of the Arjuna: I don’t know. It’s a mystery for me past. lakhs was. Mind you, I even to this date. The board called me and said Question: At the post match media conference that I am going to take a rest. I told them that I you said that the reason for England to not to give was getting two rupees didn’t want a rest. But I believe politics was Sri Lanka a three Test series is the fear of losing involved in that decision. I was very angry and 3-0 . Did you actually mean what you said or was it for school those days.’ there were a lot of issues as well in the country. I just rubbing salt into English wounds? Mind you, I was getting two rupees for thought I will continue to play for my club. It Arjuna: Well, look at the way we were playing. school those days. was not that I was not performing or whatever, BY REX CLEMENTINE We had a solid batting line up and when the ball Question: Earlier you spoke on the regret of but they said that they were resting me and this missing out on a Lord’s hundred in 1984 when you was turning Murali could always cause problems. n the second part of his interview in our seg- was a Test tour. made 84. In 1988 when Sri Lanka played England We knew we had to depend on Murali to win that ment ‘Lords at Lord’s’, former Sri Lanka cap- Question: In that tour, Rumesh Ratnayake in the Lord’s Test you missed out again. Test and that’s the reason for us to put England in. tain Arjuna Ranatunga reveals that he was became the first and only Sri Lankan so far to take I Even if England had got 500 runs, we had the bat- Arjuna: I remember getting 78 in the second approached to join the rebel tour to South Africa a five wicket haul at Lord’s in a Test Match. Your innings. The unfortunate thing is that we got ting to get close to 500 runs. We felt that we had a in 1982 before he had turned 19. Ranatunga reveals thoughts on Rumesh? caught on a greenish track again after losing the chance to put them back to batting on the fourth that he was offered Rs. 3 million at that time, but Arjuna: Rumesh and Chaminda Vaas are the toss. We lost early wickets and the momentum was day evening or fifth day morning. When the ball is was prevented from joining the tour party by then most dedicated fast bowlers I have come across. If never there. The main thing is that we didn’t know turning we knew they would struggle against captain Bandula Warnapura, who along with the you are talking of talent, I think Ashantha de Mel how to adapt on a greenish track and adjust to the Murali and that was our only way of beating them rest of the members of that squad received a ban was talented than anyone else. Rumesh worked moving ball. Athula Samarasekara was making in the Test Match. We were discussing a lot of of 25 years. really hard and he made life difficult for the bats- his debut and got a half-century. Then Ravi Ranatunga also says that he was fairly confi- men. Another guy who worked hard was Vinothan things and ultimately when we decided to field (Ratnayake) and I put on a useful partnership. But dent of winning the one off Test against England John. Ravi Ratnayake was very consistent, but first, I remember Aravinda being very unhappy. those were the days when we were struggling. It in 1998 and is happy that that win helped to put off Rumesh was outstanding. I have seen some of But I said that if we are going to win this Test, we was not easy to get used to climatic conditions one off Test Matches between England and Sri Rumesh’s great moments. I remember him knock- should give Murali a proper break in between the with the ball seaming around and we didn’t have Lanka. ing a couple of guys. Once he hit Larry Gomes innings so that he could finish England off in the the experience to go through a tour of England. and on another occasion even Clive Lloyd. He was second innings. That was the plan we had and it Question: You were the vice-captain of the Here are the excerpts. very quick too. Unfortunately, he had a lot of was well executed. I still remember Aravinda went side led by Ranjan Madugalle. What did you learn Question: You were a member of the Sri injuries. If injuries didn’t hamper his career, I am into the dressing room and Upul Chandana came working close with him? Lankan side in 1982 when some of your team- sure he would have gone onto become one of the in as the substitute fielder and immediately got Arjuna: The unfortunate thing is that Ranjan mates opted to travel to South Africa on a rebel greats to play the game. Alec Stewart run out. That was one of the best had a very short time as captain. Some of the play- tour. At which stage did you get to know that some Question: Coming back to the historic 1998 tours I had as a Sri Lankan cricketer. Ranjit ers were not motivated enough. Of all the Sri of the team members were going off to South tour to England, were you unhappy that the Test (Fernando), who was the Manager of that tour, Lankan captains to date, I believe he’s the best. Africa? was allocated at The Oval and not Lord’s? was a father figure and handled things well. I He’s a good decision maker and understands situa- Arjuna: Actually, I was contacted by someone Arjuna: The itinerary came early and I remember there was an issue where discipline tions well. I felt that when he became the captain, to go on that trip. I was 18 at that time and I didn’t thought it was at Lord’s. I knew I was coming to was breached early on in the tour, but we handled his form as a batsman went down. Maybe pres- know what was going on and very innocently I an end of my career and it was clear that it was that tricky situation well. We were like a family. sure, I may be wrong, but I felt that he wasn’t at informed my mother. I didn’t know what was hap- going to be my last tour to England. Later I Ranjit was more like a father to us. I always say his best when he was captaining the side. He was a pening in South Africa. The guy who stopped me realised that it was at The Oval and I wasn’t too that Roy (Dias) is the best coach I have played very good leader. I remember he put me in-charge from going was Bandula Warnapura, my captain happy. We had a tough start. I remember losing a cricket with. He’s you know a very unassuming of the discipline while on tours. I was his deputy at that time. He said, ‘You are not going anywhere. three day game to Glamorgan in two days. We had person.