Arjuna runs back to the ’96 World Cup win
The roll and the part a captain will have to play when leading a side was revealed by Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain at an event to celebrate New Zealand’s co-hosting of the Cricket World Cup 2015 held at the Grand Ballroom, Hilton Hotel in Colombo last Monday.
This event featured a conversation with former Kiwi skipper Stephen Flemming also the present coach of the Chennai Super Kings. Flemming was accompanied by New Zealands Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy who conducted the conversation. The New Zealand ambassador in Sri Lanka graced the occasion.
Pictured New Zealand Ambassador, HE Grahame Morton, Stephen Fleming and former Sri Lankan Captain Arjuna Ranatunge. Pic by Ranjith Perera
Answering a question on how Arjuna guided the Lankans to glory by winning the World Cup the former Sri Lankan skipper went on to say that prior planning is the main reason for his team’s success. Having the World Cup in mind Arjuna started his planning an year ago by having in mind a squad of about thirty players with one outsider in Marvan Atapattu who was struggling to find touch at the time. Having known the responsibility in leading a national team in an event like the World Cup Arjuna started with moving along with the final team very closely.
He made the side to understand that to achieve a target every member will have to give one hundred per cent to the side and should be committed and dedicated. In the quest for the World Cup Arjuna was very lucky to get the best out of every member of the team right throughout the tournament. When it came to the final encounter our players were beaming with confidence. The best example Arjuna gave was when our team came for breakfast the entire Australian team was there looking very tense. But where as our cricketers were concerned they were looking very relaxed and some were seen shopping in the morning on the day of the final and it looked like the Lankan had left the pressure with the Aussies.
Speaking further to a packed audience Arjuna said that he was very lucky to have the world’s best batsman at the time – the dynamic Aravinda De Silva as his deputy. When Australia batted first in the finals every member of the team whether in fielding or bowling gave the best support to their best of ability to be dismissed for a score below 250 and the Lankans were very confident in reaching the total and winning the World Cup which will bring glory to the motherland.
Though the dashing openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana were back in the pavilion early, Aravinda scored a magnificent unbeaten century to guide the Lankans through. Ranatunga paid a special tribute to Asanka Gurusinghe who held the fort from the other end which made Aravinda’s job easy.
According to the former Lankan skipper when captaining a side, the captain should have a hold on — on and off the field activities and should have a good understanding of his team members. In that aspect man management is very vital. The captain should look into their personal problems also. Arjuna said that he used to go around in the night to check whether everyone had retired to bed by ten o’clock in the night. On a tour the captain’s duty is immense in keeping the team together and helping them to keep a high moral which will help them to perform well on the field as well as off the field. Arjuna was very fortunate to have a bunch of cricketers who always sought his advice in victory as well as in defeat.
Referring to the oncoming World Cricket Cup 2015 which will be held in New Zealand and Australia the host countries may do well in familiar conditions and the side that may create an upset will be the young and unpredictable Pakistan side. Sri Lanka too has a good chance if the three senior frontline batsmen find form in building a match winning totals.