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The spirit of 1996

When Sri Lanka won the Cricket World Cup in 1996, this country was embroiled in war and national morale was reaching a particularly low point. The win over the indomitable Australians on that steamy evening in Lahore united this nation as nothing else had in our past.

It also lifted our morale and made us proud to be Sri Lankan. We may have messed up everything else, the economy, the politics and education, but at least we could play cricket, the game that most Sri Lankans love although many don't play it.

Being world champions also meant that for the first time the cricketing world took very serious note of the quality of our players and their ability to entertain. They became sought after for their ability to draw cricket fans the world over with their flamboyance and fighting ability.

This also catapulted Sri Lankan Cricketers into the big league in terms of earnings. Today senior players earn more than six million rupees per year and the lowest paid make at least two million. Much of that is in US dollars and tax-free.

Very few Sri Lankan men and women, even those employed by foreign companies, can even dream of earning that kind of money.

We do not grudge the earnings of the cricketers. In fact these humongous salaries are necessary if we are to attract the most talented and tenacious cricketers in the country to play in the national side and also ensure that they are not spirited away to other countries that play the game at this level.

But it was disappointing to see the cricketers in a stand-off with the Board of Control for Cricket over their share of the payment the country is to get for participation in the upcoming World Cup to be played in Southern Africa.

Cricket fans in Sri Lanka were asking the question whether the players were too interested in money and not in playing the game because of their lacklustre performance in Australia where they failed to reach the finals of the Victoria Bitter One-day tournament.

But are the cricketers to be blamed? Perhaps not. Across our society professionals, politicians and administrators seem to have forgotten their primary purpose, which is to serve the country. Most are out for a quick buck, or seek to advance themselves or their families at the expense of their allotted task. They have lost sight of the purpose of their appointments and only seek pecuniary advantage while their duties are neglected.

The Police are investigating allegations against officials who are alleged to have parked funds allocated for developmental activities in high-interest bank accounts for a fee. This kind of practice has led to the halt in developmental activities, which would have contributed to economic growth and benefited a large number of ordinary people. Even funds for poverty alleviation under Samurdhi are alleged to have been deposited in these accounts.

This widespread societal malaise, which grew upon us during the dark days of the war was mostly due to the general feeling of hopelessness that pervaded the nation during that time. Few people thought there was a future, and it was each man, or woman, for himself or herself.

But now things have changed. We see a bright future for our people that can, and must be achieved if we rededicate ourselves to doing our job to the best of our ability.

This brings us back to our cricketers. In 1996 we admired the side that was led by Arjuna Ranatunga, which strode on to the field looking and feeling like champions, their purpose, to win the world cup written in every gesture and movement. At that time the cricketing world thought that ambition almost absurd and the odds against us winning were 80 to one.

Today our team does not seem that purposeful. In South Africa during the recent tour and in Australia the team looked dispirited and lacked focus.

To many of our young people the Cricketers are real heroes. They are public figures with iconic status. Therefore they have to set an example to the nation, particularly in the attitudes they display. That will help bring more resolve and purpose to our whole nation as these symbols are vital for our national consciousness.

Like everyone else charged with national duty they have to show that they hold the sacred duty of winning for the country above all.

To do that they have a fine chance at the World Cup. Let our cricketers go out and show that they really mean business, that they can recapture the spirit of 1996.

Otherwise their fans will be left with the bitter taste that was introduced by this unseemly spat over cash with the Board.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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