Delving deep into 2015 World Cup tournament
A latest addition for cricket fans’ readership is a book authored by former Ananda cricketer Thilak De Silva titled ‘ICC Cricket World Cup 2015’ on the recently concluded cricket world cup staged in Australia and New Zealand. Published by K.C. Printers the book consisting of 154 pages has given a full account of each and every match of the competition from game one to the finals.
For every Sri Lankan cricket enthusiast this booklet will give them first hand information of every game played from the first ball to the last of the last world cup. Local TV viewers were interested mostly only in the matches that our team played and must have missed how most matches went 
on. De Silva’s analyzing of each game will give cricket fans most technical points which they were not aware of. Building of an inning by a team and how a batsman gets set in putting up a good score and the bowlers strategies in curtailing a free scoring batsman in the calibre of Chris Gayle and how a captain handles his bowlers and field settings were given match by match.
De Silva had gathered a vast knowledge of the game by witnessing and playing the game in countries such as England, Australia, Jamaica and even Switzerland apart from Sri Lanka. He captained the Ananda College cricket team in 1964 and was a member of the Sri Lanka Schools team in the same year. His description of the technical aspects of the game is vivid. It is certain that the readers of this book will enjoy and be well informed about this great game of cricket.
The author had got the views of eminent former Sri Lanka cricketers as well as knowledgeable cricket fans. In the Preface Jayantha Seneviratne present Manager of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team and well known commentator and former national player had given details of the participated teams and had paid a rich tribute for De Silva for his arduous task of compiling all the matches into a book.
Present interim committee chairman of the SLC Sidath Wettimuny in his message had gone deep into Sri Lanka cricket and its young cricketers of their talents and the contribution that they can make for Lanka cricket. Another former Anandian — Prof Rohana Kuruppu’s conceptual story of smart cricket based on preparation, playing the game, intelligence and application gives the reader more knowledge and interest.
Prasanna De Silva a resident of Australia discloses many things that the local TV viewers were not aware of. He states while there is unadulterated enthusiasm in all cricket fans supporting their teams, the coverage of the event was sparse in both the print and electronic media in Australia. If Australia is not playing there is no TV coverage or even Radio commentaries – unless you are a subscriber to Foxtell. Prasanna in his contribution to the book states about the interest of the Sri Lankans in Australia where they follow the team wherever they play in every corner of the country. It was evident of the row of buses that were parked outside the venues carrying Sri Lankan fans. The song composed by Prasanna in tribute to the great Sri Lankan gentleman cricketer Kumara Sangakkara is sweet as Sanga’s four centuries at the World Cup.
The other unknown factor that was the domination of local Papare band over the English Balmy Army and the Swamy Army of the Indians. Papare Army of the Lankans believed to have taken pride of place among the cheer squads. Taking on the majority Boxing Kangaroo Army of the ‘Aussi, Aussi, Aussi… Oui! Oui!’ screaming Australian fans.
This booklet is sure to create a bigger readership and will help every youngster to gain knowledge of the finer points of the game.