{"id":59822,"date":"2021-03-19T17:51:37","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T17:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=59822"},"modified":"2021-03-19T17:51:37","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T17:51:37","slug":"recounting-96-remembering-sri-lankas-greatest-cricketing-triumph","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/recounting-96-remembering-sri-lankas-greatest-cricketing-triumph\/","title":{"rendered":"Recounting \u201996 – Remembering Sri Lanka\u2019s greatest cricketing triumph"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recounting \u201996 – Remembering Sri Lanka\u2019s greatest cricketing triumph<\/span><\/h1>\n

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Source:<\/span>Dailymirror<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Thanks to everyone who sent in comments and shared your favourite memories of the 1996 World Cup final, and those involved in it. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too longer to see another Sri Lankan captain lift a World Cup trophy!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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09:51 Pm<\/span><\/h5>\n

A few final comments\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Lankan comments:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

A. Ranatunga is a man of principles and ethics. He is not scared of making of any criticism about any one face to face . He managed to send a message through this short talk.. He is a sport man with all sense even in politics he did not lose his characters of sportsmanship. We done. This was golden opportunity for him to give remarks<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ranaweera says:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ranathunga could probably clear the mess we are currently in . But if he has to do that he should be given full powers. Under the current setup at SLC no one can really do anything good. The country should use his skills to uplift the game. He has a passion for it. We have made great cricketers in the past we could do it again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nish Rajapsakse adds:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Cherish those memories,,No racism those days..Pakistan fans supported us..we won the cup .Great captaincy! good team spirit! No vehicle on the road on that day. What a day!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup squad received their winners’ medals at the commemoration event held at Temple Trees today. Winners’ medals were not given to the World Cup winning team until 2003, and since then the ICC has been retrospectively issuing medals to past winners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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06:52 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

We need a basic pathway – Ana Punchihewa\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Ana Punchihewa had to face the disservice of being voted out from the position weeks after the 1996 World Cup, depsite doing much of the hard work behind the scenes to get the team to perform at its optimum.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In an article in our sister paper, the Sunday Times, Punchihewa said Sri Lanka neeed a basic pathway for cricketers if they are to reach the heights of 1996 again. He wrote:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I sincerely hope that we wouldn\u2019t have to wait 25 or 50 more years for another World Cup win. We were on par with other countries back then. We initiated so many things, like appointing a CEO, a foreign coach, and so on. Other countries took a leaf from us and they took over, while we remain the same. Others did the basics right, they made sure plans were followed accordingly and professionally.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, our elected cricket boards kept saying \u2018why tinkle with the good formula, we won the same thing in the World Cup\u2019. It has been five, 10, 15, 20 years and now 25 years on, we are still saying the same thing. Why change it, we did win a World Cup, they ask. I say yes, we have talented players, but we must have a pathway, also a basic way. We almost got it right in 2007 and 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming back to the 1996 structure, I have lost contact with most of the committee members. One of the persons in the committee who helped me a lot was Irvin Jayawardena, who is no more with us. I even spoke to Harendra Dinuwila, one of my Vice Presidents back in 1995\/96, few days ago only after 25 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A night that united the nation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Share your favourite memories from the 1996 World Cup final, when Sri Lanka ruled the cricketing world.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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04:37 Pm<\/span><\/h5>\n

World Cup final centurion Aravinda de Silva had this to say to Channel Nine about his innings that night:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It was one of the greatest moments for Sri Lanka as well as for us personally. Winning a World Cup is every cricketer’s dream, so for me, to be able to do that during my career, I am quite pleased to have been part of that, to bring glory to the country as a team. As a team we had gone through a lot so it was special for the entire squad.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aggression is what I normally apply, so I just continued doing that. I didn’t want to change my approach to the game at all. I enjoyed those kinds of games. I was really happy to be exposed to that situation because I enjoy challenges. That was an ideal situation for my kind of performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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04:07 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

Commenter\u00a0Srilal De Silva also credits Arjuna Ranatunga’s captaincy for beating the mighty Australians:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

No one else would have beaten the Aussies of 1996 other than Arjuna. I believe it is Arjuna’s way of ‘Doing Things’ that got ‘Under the Skin’ of the Aussies ,especially of players like Warne , Healy and Mcgrath that made it possible for us to win the battle against Taylor and co. Warne was more concerned about teaching Arjuna a lesson and and so was Healey and probably the whole Aussies 11 and in the process they lost the Larger Picture – to win a Cricket Match. Arjuna, I believe walked more singles in matches against Australia and was always in his own way ‘Needling’ the Aussies. Finally Aussies were being paid back by their own coin.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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03:35 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

Chaminda Vaas, one of Sri Lanka’s all-time greatest fast bowlers had this to say about the World Cup final, in an interview with Australia’s Channel 9:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

When I saw the wicket, I thought it was a 270-280 wicket, but we managed to keep them under 250. We had a long batting line-up, so I thought we could get it. It depended on the openers and the No.3, how they bat out the opening overs. Right throughout the tournament, Sanath (Jayasuriya), Kalu and (Asanka Gurusinha) did their part.<\/span><\/p>\n

We had a belief in each other that we could get it our way in the final. When we were watching the chase, we’re all different. Some people like to sit, there are a few people who are very superstitious, they won’t get up from their seat. Even in the semi-final, Sanath and Kalu had gotten out early so I knew that we could still reach the target. Sanath, Asanka, Roshan and Hashan (Tillakaratne) were the most superstitious. Murali loves to talk, so he never shuts up. Even in that situation, he keeps going and can’t stop.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Arjuna and Aravinda were batting, we knew we had the game won, because there were still lots of overs left and wickets in hand. In that moment, even if Arjuna and Aravinda had gotten out, we had enough back-up.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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03:01 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

Asanka Gurusinha, another member of the World Cup winning team who was unable to take part in the commemoration events today, posted this on his Instagram earlier today.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sri Lanka beat us at our own game – Taylor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Losing captain of the 1996 World Cup Mark Taylor credited Sri Lanka for their approach after openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana, in an interview in\u00a0this<\/a>\u00a0excellent oral history of that Sri Lanka-Australia rivalry.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, the irony of the final was that myself and Mark Waugh got off to a brisk start, in the way that Sri Lanka had started playing. We made 240, and then we knock over their two openers who had been the ones who changed the game. Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana didn’t make runs in the final. They were 2-9 (sic). They actually beat us at our own game. Aravinda batted beautifully, and Arjuna was the perfect foil for him, and they won comfortably, playing like we normally played.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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02:45 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

March 17 is an extra special day for our commenter Mangala Pahindra:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Congratulate for whole team celebrate 25years winning the world cup the day that never forget coincidentally it’s my wife birthday too. 17\/03 It is important to have advise opinions from these guys for our current team also it is prime responsibility of governing body to include seniors for the board to improve the standards of cricket. All the best hope we will have another world cup in to our motherland soon.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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02:43 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

Nihal Weerawardane is evidently a realist:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

What a sad story after 1996 we never made a lesson from the past – corruption -mobbing – publicity -money – politics -]]] since we enjoyed — and will be hard to come out THEY ALL WANT MONEY OUT OF CRICKET …. YES !<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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01:55 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

The tension of that World Cup final was not lost on our commenter Reez, who also recalls the excellent century by Aravinda de Silva:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I was around 26 years old at that time. All our friends got together in one house and glued our eyes to the Television. We were happy about the moderate score of the Australians but tensed. When two wickets down mean we were all panicked. But enter Ara we were sure we are going to say hurrah. What a night it was plenty of hugs in the street. Thank God those days were Corona free.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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01:51 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

One man who would have loved to be part of the celebration today is former Australian captain the late Tony Greig, who as a commentator never hid his love for Sri Lanka and their approach to the game.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Arjuna Ranatunga, speaking after Greig’s death in 2012, is quoted as saying:<\/em>\u00a0“Tony Greig was the first person who said that Sri Lanka will win the World Cup. Tony was a man who loved our country. He appreciated our attacking style, our culture and our history. He embraced Sri Lanka like no other person. One of the things that he loved is our hospitality.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranatunga also said that Greig had offered his support to the players and the cricket board during Muttiah Muralitharan\u2019s chucking controversy in Australia.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

“During the chucking incidents in 1995 and 1998, he went out of his way and helped us.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“I remember during the chucking controversy, Tony came to our dressing rooms, and even the hotel, and consoled us and told us what to do and what not to do. One of the things that I really liked was, when he promoted our younger guys. Little Kalu became a household name because of Tony.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Our commenter Niz also remembers Grieg:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

We won’t forget the support Late legend Sir Tony Greg decorating the glorious win.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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01:42 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

Add commentor Sam to the list of people who are not in the mood to celebrate:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Excellent job done, 25 years ago. It\u2019s time to move on.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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01:38 PM<\/span><\/h5>\n

One key member of the World Cup winning team who is not part of the celebrations today is Sanath Jayasuriya, currently in India participating in the Road Safety World Series. Jayasuriya posted this message on his Facebook page earlier today:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n