World Cup discard Upul Tharanga confident of a comeback
Upul Tharanga is one of Sri Lanka’s best left-handed batsmen. Since he made his debut in 2005, over the years, Tharanga has been a prolific opener for the National team. In 2017, he took over the captaincy, after Angelo Mathews abruptly stepped down.
He was among the top contenders for the 2019 World Cup (WC) squad in England, but unfortunately, his performances in the recent past have not been great and, as a result, he was excluded from the WC squad.
Once a saviour, now a discard - Upul Tharanga - Pic by Ishanka Sunimal
Despite being left out, he is confident that he could make a comeback into the National setup in the near future.
“Obviously, I was disappointed at not being selected for the WC, but the decision was taken by the Selectors. If you take a closer look at my performances leading up to the WC, I couldn’t score a lot of runs, so, I was eventually, omitted from the WC squad , but I am confident that I will return to the National team in the near future,” Tharanga said.
Throughout the WC Sri Lankan batsmen were kept on their toes by the opposing bowlers and were under pressure. As a result, the Lankan batsmen were forced to play extravagant shots. According to Tharanga, the batsmen must play fearless cricket, if they want to be successful on the international stage.
“At present, we have some talented batsmen in our team, and we have to nurture and encourage them to play fearlessly. When I entered the National team in 2005, senior players such as Mahela Jayawardane, Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya gave me some invaluable advice, and they told me to play according to my instincts, which enabled me to have a successful career up to now,” he recalled with a sense of satisfaction.
Furthermore, he said that Virat Kohli is the best batsmen he has seen in the modern generation, and he urges the younger generations to replicate his determination, to be a successful batsman.
Tharanga was optimistic about the bowling attack, which he believed will be able to win matches consistently, if the batting department can click at the right time. He also went on to say that Angelo Mathews will play a crucial role in the team. According to him, Mathews is the man for a crisis situation.
“Angelo has been a match-winner for us, for many years. He has the ability to hold his nerve in crisis situations. He will do anything to make the team win, and I think his role as an all-rounder will be important for the future of Sri Lanka cricket,” he added.
In 2006, Tharanga played a crucial role, when Sri Lanka whitewashed England on their home soil. Those were the glory days of Sri Lanka cricket. He recalled some fond memories from that memorable tour.
“I still can’t believe that we whitewashed the formidable Englishmen on their home soil. When the tour started, we believed in our abilities and were able to show our capabilities to the world. I believe that, it was a significant moment in our cricketing history,” he opined.
Sanath Jayasuriya is known as one of the greatest all-rounders in the world. Jayasuriya was Tharanga’s longtime opening partner. Tharanga said it was a great experience playing alongside him, as he was an inspirational figure in the team.
“It was my dream to open the batting with Sanath Jayasuriya. He gave me the freedom to express myself as a batsman. It was a pleasure to play with him,” he said.
In 2007, Sri Lanka were WC runners-up in the Caribbean and Tharanga shared some of his memories from that memorable tournament.
“Leading up to the 2007 WC, we were one of the formidable teams in world cricket. People believed that we would do well and fortunately, we lived up to their expectations,” he recalled.
In the 2011WC, he scored 395 runs, at an average of 56.42, including centuries against England and Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka went on to be Runners-up for the 2nd consecutive time.
“The 2011 WC was a memorable tournament for me and my team. We were determined to win the tournament for Muttiah Muralitharan. We played positively throughout the tournament, but unfortunately, we couldn’t hold our nerve during the final, but we were pleased about the brand of cricket we played throughout the tournament”.
The opening partnership between Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan was a joy to watch for the passionate Sri Lankan cricket fans. Tharanga was the 19th captain to lead Sri Lanka in One Day Internationals. He also led the Twenty20 (T20) team, when Sri Lanka beat Australia on their home soil in 2017.
“Captaining my country was an honour to me. It was challenging, but I enjoyed my stint as captain. When I took over the captaincy, it was a different experience. But as a senior player in the team, I had to take the responsibility and help out the youngsters in their hour of need. The T20 series victory against Australia was a reward for my sacrifices,” he recalled with pride.
Lasith Malinga is a living legend for Sri Lanka over the years. He has taken two WC hat-tricks. Despite being down on pace, he still takes crucial wickets when the team requires. Tharanga praised the champion bowler and believes that, he still has the capability to win matches for Sri Lanka in the future.
“Malinga is a champion and a match-winner for us. His double hattrick in the West Indies is my favourite Malinga moment. I wish he will continue playing for Sri Lanka for the next few years,” he stresssed.
Furthermore, he went on to say that the local fans have been backing the team at all times and stressed it is the team’s responsibility to make them proud.
“Cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. As professional cricketers, we must always try to give our maximum effort on the field, and inspire the future generation.It is our responsibility to make the nation proud,” Tharanga concluded.