{"id":36157,"date":"2019-06-15T15:45:40","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T15:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=36157"},"modified":"2019-06-15T15:45:40","modified_gmt":"2019-06-15T15:45:40","slug":"the-best-is-yet-to-come-an-aussie-umpire-on-sangakkara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-best-is-yet-to-come-an-aussie-umpire-on-sangakkara\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best is Yet to Come! &#8211; An Aussie Umpire on Sangakkara"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #800080;\">The Best is Yet to Come! &#8211; An Aussie Umpire on Sangakkara<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-36158 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Kumar-Chokshanada-Sangakkara.gif\" alt=\"Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara\" width=\"200\" height=\"258\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">Men with disciplined minds, set their sights on far loftier goals than others given to average thinking. Such are the virtues that have made Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara become what he now is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">Kumar Sangakkara has played many a fine inning in his time. They have spanned across every notable playing field and every nook and cranny worth knowing on the cricket map.\u00a0 \u00a0They have stretched across all types of the game \u2013 from Tests to ODIs, to the T20s.\u00a0 \u00a0In each of them, his performances have won him accolades from men of discernment.\u00a0 \u00a0Be it with bat or lip, he has made his mark. His opponents know only too well how fiendishly difficult it is to match him \u2013 be it at play or at his lip and intellect, either singly or in combination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">Ahead of its time<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">But none of those innings will measure up to the one he is soon poised to play. At 41 years of age, he now stands as President-designate of the Marylebone Cricket Club, when its current President steps down in September.\u00a0 \u00a0 The honour is so compelling, it would stagger many local cricket pundits who tend to bestir themselves only when the world outside has recognised our heroes first.\u00a0 \u00a0The fact that this most conservative, most prestigious and most exclusive Cricket Club of all, found it fit and proper to break with tradition and nominate Kumar Sangakkara as its President for 2019-2020, is suggestive that the MCC will not idly twiddle its toes when they see a good man coming.\u00a0 \u00a0This is particularly so, when he is so ideally well suited to serve their larger needs worldwide.\u00a0 \u00a0In picking their man, the MCC were unwilling to consider any trappings outside sheer merit, and in choosing Sangakkara to be their first non-British President in its 232 years of existence, the MCC has forged well ahead of its time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">MCC\u2019s challenge ahead<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">Growing trends in world cricket have compelled a prudent MCC to look beyond its traditional British shores for its next President.\u00a0 \u00a0The old order is changing.\u00a0 \u00a0India\u2019s growing dominance and MCC\u2019s waning global influence could not have escaped attention.\u00a0 \u00a0Keen on shedding its rotund, bucolic image to a more lean and hungry one, the MCC perhaps figured, they have to reach out and influence the rest of the world if they were to continue safeguarding the custodianship of the Laws, the game\u2019s traditions and most importantly, the Spirit of Cricket concept.\u00a0 \u00a0In an act that can only be termed as extremely farsighted, the MCC looked beyond its shores for its next leader and settled on a daring prospect. In selecting Kumar Sangakkara for this rare honour, the MCC has managed to grab itself a lot of useful attention, even before Sanga\u2019s term began.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607msonormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">The perfect foil<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607msonormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">None would argue that in Kumar Sangakkara, one sees the perfect foil to effect the transition of the MCC in this 21st. century from a very exclusively British private cricket club, to a more globally orientated entity, capable of reversing its thinning global influence.\u00a0 \u00a0Towards this end, Sangakkara\u2019s nomination could be the first step and he fits the bill perfectly.\u00a0 \u00a0He is well spoken and articulate; well read and well informed.\u00a0 \u00a0He is blessed with a razor-sharp intellect and is never out of his depth in any conversation.\u00a0 \u00a0He is suavely cosmopolitan, delightfully well-mannered, modern yet old fashioned and universally respected.\u00a0 \u00a0In choosing him as the medium of transition from what was, to what will be, the MCC chose wisely, for, much like his batting, he will not let the side down.\u00a0 \u00a0In fact, it would be hard to find someone on whose shoulders the very British traditions and by-plays which surround the MCC, would sit more easily upon, than Kumar Sangakkara<\/span><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607msonormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">But to say that Sangakkara is a mere vehicle of convenience towards achieving a challenging goal for the Marylebone Cricket Club is unkind. Given the challenges, he is probably the finest broom one could lay one\u2019s hands on to sweep away the cobwebs at Lord\u2019s, and usher in a new order. Assuredly, he will need to cement international friendships and generate goodwill reaching far beyond the cricket fields.\u00a0 \u00a0Because he was thought to be so thoroughly well equipped, capable and deserving; and because he can smell the winds of change more acutely than most, it is but fitting that he has now been tasked to navigate the MCC through hitherto uncharted waters.\u00a0 \u00a0He may be the first non-British national to ascend the Presidency, but he won\u2019t be the last.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">Sanga\u2019s secret<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">Prophets often go without honour in their own country.\u00a0 \u00a0Genius fares no better.\u00a0 \u00a0The latter can be spurned by an insensitive populace, unable to recognize or grasp its depth.\u00a0 \u00a0Detractors may not know but genius involves a lot of hard work and gallons of perspiration.\u00a0 \u00a0It involves the infinite capacity for taking pains and calls for an uncommon singleness of purpose in whatever the pursuit.\u00a0 \u00a0These are attributes which normal men given to easy life wouldn\u2019t know the first thing about. They call for a discipline made of the finest steel in men.\u00a0 Sanga has them all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">The pursuit of perfection and the associated single-mindedness have been Sanga\u2019s greatest allies.\u00a0 \u00a0They have been his most significant contributions towards his own successes. These are characteristics which largely contribute towards moulding one\u2019s character.\u00a0 \u00a0The underlying theme is discipline.\u00a0 \u00a0Men with disciplined minds, set their sights on far loftier goals than others given to average thinking. Such are the virtues that have made Kumar Sangakkara become what he now is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">The irony of it all<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">Be it his spectacular bouts of oratory (from behind the stumps or from a podium), or his deeds with the bat, Sangakkara hasn\u2019t received the attention he deserves even in his own country.\u00a0 \u00a0It has not been widely suggested that he is the best batsman this country has produced.\u00a0 \u00a0Older generations still croon over the mercurial brilliance of Sathasivam or Sargo\u2019s Hammondesque power.\u00a0 \u00a0Younger ones prefer to remember the volatile brilliance of Jayasuriya or Dilshan, or the sublime artistry of Aravinda de Silva.\u00a0 \u00a0The ruthlessly clinical, cleanly executed, highly bankable efforts of Sangakkara, hardly get a mention.\u00a0 \u00a0These are the very qualities which have made him the most influential Sri Lankan batsman in the modern era, yet they have gone largely unnoticed.\u00a0 \u00a0Truth be spoken, Sangakkara has scored more runs more often in times of need, than anyone else batting for his country.\u00a0 \u00a0Often they have come while batting at first drop and mostly against a gleaming new ball.\u00a0 \u00a0Yet, few have taken note.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">Some startling reading<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">In a comparative study among cricket\u2019s all time \u2018greats\u2019, Test averages are what separate men from the boys.\u00a0 \u00a0They tell us of a player\u2019s consistency in the highest theatre of cricket, over the period of his active playing years. They tell us of the consistency of a player\u2019s effectiveness over his opponent. Besides, statistics don\u2019t lie.\u00a0 \u00a0They may not tell the whole story, but they do, to a great extent.\u00a0 \u00a0A comparative study of some of cricket\u2019s most influential batsmen can make startling reading.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">Unlike others on the list, Sangakkara also kept wicket for part of his career while holding 182 catches in Tests and effecting 20 stumpings.\u00a0 In 404 ODIs, he held 402 catches and effected 99 stumpings while scoring 14,234 runs at an average of 41.98.\u00a0 \u00a0Although comparisons can be odious, in whichever group one places him as a batsman, Sangakkara\u2019s achievements cannot be dwarfed nor ignored.\u00a0 \u00a0It takes a lot of commitment and character to maintain a high standard over a long period of time and Sangakkara\u2019s achievements speak louder than all the words one could muster.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">Uniquely influential<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">But despite being unquestionably an all-rounder of international class, it is as a batsman that he will be best remembered.\u00a0 \u00a0Often having kept wicket, he would bat at No 3 &#8211; a position which is the exclusive preserve of only the resolute, the resilient, and the single minded. Being a position of awesome responsibility, it is the single-most authoritative position which directly influences the rest of the batting.\u00a0 \u00a0Successful first drop batsmen are those who have a profound knowledge of their own game and are blessed with a discipline and character, which enable them to play within their limitations.\u00a0 \u00a0That Sangakkara has never been known to shirk or step back from his responsibilities is where his greatness lies.\u00a0 \u00a0He could be facing the fury of the opposition from the second ball of a match, but it would be the broadest of bats on offer with hands, head, feet and body in perfect harmony and commendable symmetry.\u00a0 \u00a0Often he would get down to business right away, for dominance is always better when applied with minimum delay.\u00a0 \u00a0Before he gave up wicket-keeping, Sangakkara amply qualified as the finest Sri Lankan all-rounder of all time.\u00a0 \u00a0If that survey covered the international arena, he would again have come very close to the top.\u00a0 \u00a0His statistics are irrefutable, but its not the statistics alone that matter.\u00a0 \u00a0His \u2018all-roundedness\u2019 has made him such a uniquely influential personality in the game, little wonder the MCC didn\u2019t fail to grab him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">&#8216;Plum&#8217; Warner \u2013 an MCC cornerstone and former Captain of England, once described the MCC as &#8220;a private club with a public function.&#8221;\u00a0 \u00a0A long time later, its global influence has receded and the necessity to regain its footing has been acutely felt by those charged with caring for the club\u2019s well-being.\u00a0 \u00a0Modernity has also compelled the MCC to shed some aspects of its exclusivity.\u00a0 \u00a0First, it was the acceptance of women members into the fold and now, for the first time, a President from beyond the shores of England.\u00a0 \u00a050 years ago, both would have been unthinkable!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">The Spirit of Cricket L<\/span><\/b><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">ecture<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">The winds of change were not lost on Sangakkara when he delivered his \u2018Spirit of Cricket &#8211; Cowdrey Lecture\u2019 at Lord\u2019s in 2011.\u00a0 \u00a0It was the first time a non\u2013Britisher and still an active cricketer, graced that rostrum.\u00a0 \u00a0That in itself was a groundbreaking honour for both Sangakkara and his country. He then delivered an outstanding oration which made the world croon at every word he uttered.\u00a0 \u00a0In the process he didn\u2019t fail to make some stinging references to the Sri Lankan cricket administration, in a speech considered by some, as the most courageous in cricket history, for that very reason.\u00a0 \u00a0Given the suffocating political atmosphere which prevailed at the time, this was praise well earned.\u00a0 \u00a0But the speech unfailingly earned the wrath and derision of the then Sports Minister, who considerably lowered his own standing through an unwarranted burst of criticism that was out of place and out of taste.\u00a0 \u00a0Given the significance of his new appointment and the intended projections of influence the MCC may wish to exert globally, it is unlikely that Sangakkara will merely decorate the club with his presence and provide a colourless Presidential year in office.\u00a0 \u00a0It is more in keeping with his persona that he makes the MCC and the cricket world both, sit up and take notice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">The \u2018Call of Lanka\u2019<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #26282a;\">Much like Imran Khan, Sangakkara is not averse to telling truth to power. And much like Imran Khan, it is likely that this wise, well-read, articulate and urbane man, will not allow his considerable talents and unrelenting passion to wither after cricket.\u00a0 \u00a0A wider and more fulfilling public role beckons, and one hopes he will heed the call and give leadership to a new generation of men, willing to hear \u2018The Call of Lanka\u2019 better, and serve it with greater sincerity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m262007696106587601m-3818578205725134495m-8444172420587185344gmail-m-2230539345864489552ydp349745a0yiv4445162944m4571858758040726418ydp96b265b6yiv2738528607m-6017953731000196459ydp16aa22ayiv5367785530ydpf12a5c22yiv7942677297msonormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #26282a;\">It\u2019s a hunch, but a strong one. The best of Sangakkara is yet to come!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Best is Yet to Come! &#8211; An Aussie Umpire on Sangakkara Men with disciplined minds, set their sights on far loftier goals than others given to average thinking. Such are the virtues that have made Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara become what he now is. Kumar Sangakkara has played many a fine inning in his time. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1560,1550],"tags":[2394,7654,7653],"class_list":{"0":"post-36157","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"category-cricket-news","9":"category-english-videos","10":"tag-kumar-sangakkara","11":"tag-sangakkara","12":"tag-the-best-is-yet-to-come","13":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Best is Yet to Come! - An Aussie Umpire on Sangakkara<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Best is Yet to Come! - An Aussie Umpire on Sangakkara\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Best is Yet to Come! 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