LEGACY OF A LEADER

Allaam Ousman sheds light on Arjuna Ranatunga’s role as the architect of Sri Lanka’s cricketing glory

 In the annals of cricket history, Deshamanya Arjuna Ranatunga stands tall among the pantheon of legends, revered for his unparalleled contribution to Sri Lankan cricket. Leading the Sri Lankan team to an unlikely victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Ranatunga’s leadership transcended boundaries, inspired a nation and reshaped the landscape of the sport.

Under Ranatunga’s astute leadership, Sri Lanka emerged as a formidable force on the international stage. Despite being considered underdogs, Ranatunga’s visionary tactics and unyielding belief propelled the team to unprecedented success.

The pinnacle of Ranatunga’s captaincy came in the final of the World Cup against Australia. Displaying nerves of steel, he guided Sri Lanka to victory (with more than a little help from his brilliant deputy Aravinda de Silva), remaining unbeaten on 47 and scoring the winning runs that sealed ‘The Triumph’ – the title of a book written by cricket writer Ranjan Paranavithana.

One of only three journalists from the print media to cover the event – the other two being Sa’di Thawfeeq and myself – excerpts from Paranavithana offer insights into the monumental triumph.

“The refusal by Australia and the West Indies to forfeit matches in Sri Lanka was a blessing in disguise – not only because it gave us much needed points but it added motivation to savour victory in the final,” recalls Paranavithana.

Sri Lanka had an axe to grind with the Aussies, following the ball tampering issue against Muttiah Muralitharan during the 1995 Boxing Day Test. But revenge was far from their minds.

The whole of South Asia was behind the Lankan Lions in creating history by becoming the first host nation to win the World Cup, which was jointly held in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Indeed, Sri Lanka had the most experienced team and in Ranatunga, ‘Captain Cool’ had a confident swagger about him like West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards, firmly believing in his tryst with destiny. This is exemplified in an incident on the eve of the final when the Wills World Cup was on display during the official dinner for the finalists at a hotel in Lahore.

Leading the Sri Lankan team to an unlikely victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Ranatunga’s leadership transcended boundaries, inspired a nation and reshaped the landscape of the sport

“The Australian cricketers were eager to get themselves photographed in front of the trophy. But the Sri Lankans evinced no such eagerness. This prompted an organiser to ask them why. ‘I don’t think we need to do it now,’ Arjuna replied. ‘We will be leaving for Colombo soon after the final and we can take any number of photographs then’,” relates Paranavithana.

Sri Lanka’s road to victory began when they thrashed India in a league match with Sanath Jayasuriya pummelling Manoj Prabhakar into oblivion at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. Later named the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the tournament, Jayasuriya continued in similar vein, hammering a 44 ball 88 against England in the quarterfinal in Faisalabad.

The Indians, buoyed by their win over arch rivals Pakistan, hoped to exact revenge against Sri Lanka in the semifinals, capitalising on the home advantage since Eden Gardens in Calcutta (now Kolkata) had been a happy hunting ground.

“This has historically been a lucky venue for us. There is no doubt that we will win,” Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin told the media after training.

But Ranatunga maintained that his team was better placed for victory.

“This will be a huge challenge for India,” he asserted, adding: “Playing to a massive home crowd will place them under tremendous pressure. They can’t afford to lose here. These factors are a big advantage to us. We have been playing very well and our aim is to reach the final.”

Today, as Sri Lankan cricket continues to evolve, Ranatunga’s legacy looms large as a beacon of inspiration. His name will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of cricketing enthusiasts as the architect of Sri Lanka’s cricketing glory.