Sports
|
||||
| “It
was like the Phoenix rising from the ashes” “Fitness will be the key. And our batsmen will have to get used to playing on spinner friendly wickets. Yes, the euphoria of winning the Ashes lasted for a sometime. It was a great advert for the game of cricket as well. And none of the matches were one sided. We had our chances in Pakistan. But we did not take them. That is another thing that needs to be rectified and will be, before we face India. We also have two home series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and then the Ashes,” said Graveney in an interview with The Sunday Times. Getting back to the World Cup, he added that Colombo was a fantastic venue for the event. And speaking on England’s performance he said “yes they will be disappointed that they did not make the finals. But they did well to come to the semis. Plus the experience they gained by playing in the subcontinent will invaluable to them individually and augurs well for English cricket as a whole. If you take the two teams that played in the final, they very mature for their age. Pakistan had a great pair of opening bowlers, while India’s spinners and batsmen were really good.” Graveney feels that school cricket in Sri Lanka is on a another level as opposed to England. He highlighted the fact that the great rivalry between Eton and Harrow was diminishing, while the Royal – Thomian was growing in stature by the year. “Cricketers mature fast under these conditions. For example I am very impressed with young Chamara Kapugedera. Your leg spinner Malinga Bandara, did not play the full season for County I used to play for Glouecestershire. Yet he was named player of the year for them. I feel that the Sri Lankan team as whole is in good hands with Tom Moody and Trevor Penney at the helm. They gave Australia a good run and playing Australia at home is a daunting prospect for the best of sides.” Said Graveney. This year’s World Cup was Graveney’s first visit to the under 19 edition and he was very pleased by what he saw. “Even from a Sri Lankan perspective it is very good. Even when the senior players retire, you have matured cricketers who can fill that void. Thus the form and quality of the team will not be diminished in any way. Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq and Shoiab Malik are two good examples of cricketers who are playing at the highest level after performing well at the junior World Cup. As far as England is concerned, players who have done well can make it into our ‘A’ team. And from there who knows, sky is the limit”, said Graveney. Graveney was in Sri Lanka for the fifth time. He came on the invitation of the former head of Pure Beverages and school friend Ana Punchihewa. “My visits tend to be duel purpose. Yes I did come for the Under 19 World Cup, but I also came to distribute cricket equipment to schools affected by the tsunami. The Lords Taverners is the largest cricket charity in England and they donated the equipment. The schools were identified when I came last March. We distributed equipment to 31 schools in the Galle, Matara, and Hambantota districts. This year also I identified a few more schools and I will try and get the equipment as soon as possible,” said Graveney. Graveney said that he hopes to visit Sri Lanka once again in the near future. “I like the country and the people. The enthusiasm for the game of cricket is fantastic to see. As I stated earlier I also want to help more schools affected by the tsunami. The tragedy affected me greatly as I had been here before. That is one of the reasons why I want help. And what better way than by giving equipment for a sport that is globally popular,” said Graveney in conclusion. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
