The nation can rest assured

By Sanath Jayasuriya

When these words are read, Sri Lankans will be awakening from a night of watching their cricketers do battle at the 2007 World Cup final. But as I write them from Barbados in the Caribbean, we are being put through our paces for the final hurdle. It was an exhausting but equally exhilarating week. There was a significant amount of travelling for the boys-it was only last Sunday that we left St. Georges in Grenada for the semi-finals against New Zealand in Kingston, Jamaica. And from there, we arrived at Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday.

The semi final against New Zealand was a dream game-everything that we did worked, except perhaps my own batting and Dilhara’s bowling which suffered when he lost his rhythm after being warned by Umpire Rudi Koertzen for running on the pitch, a fate that can befall any aggressive fast bowler on a bad day.

When Mahela won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat we had plans for a good start, especially after all the fuss about Upul’s inclusion. But that didn’t materialise because I completely missed a fuller delivery from James Franklin which crashed on to the stumps. I was shocked because I do not usually miscalculate such strokes, but that is cricket.

Brighter Side
On the brighter side though, there was Upul’s inning. The youngster showed a maturity far beyond his twenty two years to play his usual game and score a nearly run-a-ball 73, that gave stability to the innings at the top, especially after Sanga had also fallen with the score at 67.

It was however Mahela who stole the limelight, and why not? With this innings he stamped his class, demonstrating how accomplished a batsman he is. He scored only 22 runs in his first 50 balls and his first fifty runs cost 76 deliveries. Yet, at the end of our innings he had scored 115 off 109. Mahela has peaked at the right time and we all hope that his rich form will extend to the final.
A score of 289 is always formidable and against our attack which includes Vaasey and Mali at the top and then Murali , New Zealand were going to be tested.

Fleming never got going, opting to stay away from the strike to Vaasey only to be deceived by Mali. Taylor was all at sea against Mali but he eventually fell to Vaasey. Then, just when Styris and Fulton appeared to get going Mahela threw the ball to Dilly (Tillekeratne Dilshan) who deceived Styris. And there the game effectively ended as a contest with Murali weaving his magic spell.

It was a good win not just because it ensured our place in the finals but because most of what we had planned and discussed worked to near perfection. There were a few anxious moments, such as when I was dismissed early and when Dilhara was at the receiving end with Styris threatening to take the game away from us, but we were able to overcome them without panicking. Not your typical edge-of the-seat nail-biting thriller that is decided in the last ball of the day, but we were all extremely satisfied at the end of the game.

Our preparations for the final began on Thursday because Wednesday was spent travelling from Jamaica to Barbados. That meant that we were on the flight during the Australia-South Africa game which we therefore did not watch on television. I do not consider that to be a particular disadvantage because we have watched plenty of footage of their key players in the recent past.

We have now just finished our last practice session before the finals at the Kensington Oval. Said to be the oldest venue in the West Indies it is now very different from the ground we saw in June 2003 when we were last here: it has been entirely rebuilt with a pavilion that is ultra modern and looks more like a spaceship!

We have had a good look at the wicket at Kensington. I am aware that much has been made about the extra bounce that this wicket is supposed to generate and how that would favour the Australians. We thought that the wicket was very dry and would perhaps have slightly more bounce than what we experienced in Jamaica against New Zealand.

It must be said that before the semi final against New Zealand similar predictions were made as to how the conditions in Jamaica would favour the Kiwis. Now, we too have formidable pace bowlers in Vaasey, Mali, Dilhara and Maha who can exploit any bounce in the wicket and I know that Murali also prefers to bowl on bouncier tracks. So, even if Kensington does offer the much predicted bounce, we are prepared.

Paying Off
I believe the decision to rest Vaasey, Mali and Murali for the Super Eights game against Australia is now paying off. The decision had the support of the entire squad and the fact that the Aussies were clearly annoyed about it indicates it must mean some of their plans went awry. I know that some criticised our decision but it was a decision that we firmly believed will help the cause of Sri Lankan cricket as it seeks another World Cup.

It is pleasing to find that the entire squad is fit and that there are no injury concerns whatsoever. The playing eleven has not been finalised at the time of writing and probably one place is up for grabs. Moody has been an excellent guide, philosopher and friend over the past few weeks. His strategy has been simple: play one match at a time and stick to getting our basics right. It is a tactic that we will try to utilise to the maximum in the finals.True, it is a World Cup final, but we will think of it as another game of cricket. There have been many references to the 1996 final and three of us-Vaasey, Murali and myself-are survivors from that team. On the other hand only two Aussies remain-McGrath and Ponting. The three youngest members of our team-Upul, Maha and Mali- were not even teenagers at the time of that triumph but the boys are not overawed by the big occasion; we will play a relaxed game and not put ourselves under undue pressure.

We have been tagged as underdogs and that suits us fine. We have nothing to lose whereas the onus is on Australia who are expected to win. I have also seen reports of how the focus of the Aussies, McGrath in particular, is on targeting me at the top of the order but that doesn’t worry me-I am here to enjoy my cricket, and I will.

This World Cup also has a special meaning for me. Russell has already announced his retirement from international cricket after the tournament and Murali has said it may be his last World Cup. For me, this will definitely be my last World Cup, so I want it to be something special not only for myself but also my country as well. Because this will be my last World Cup, I thought my family would like to see me perform on cricket’s biggest stage. My wife Sandra and my eldest daughter Keshini arrived on Friday in Barbados and will watch us in action on Saturday.

Added Impetus
I was also deeply moved by something else Murali said at the recent press briefing. He pointed out that our team comprised of all religions and nationalities and that the progress we have made thus far is an indication of what we can achieve if we stand as one. Murali said that if there is one thing we all yearn for, it is peace in our country. Coming from Murali, it was a significant statement and a feeling that I strongly endorse. We have heard that all of Sri Lanka is agog with ‘cricket fever’. We learnt that many ‘bodhi poojas’ and blessings from other religions have been conducted for us and that the national flag is being flown in a show of solidarity with the boys. These sentiments give us added impetus because we know that the thoughts of an entire nation are with us in this final hour.

To be able to play in a World Cup cricket final is every cricketer’s dream. To be able to do so twice is a privilege few cricketers earn. I have been granted that opportunity and I am grateful to my country and to the game which has given me so much in life. And I shall try to make the most of that prospect. We are all aware of what this game means to our country which is going through difficult times. We realise that all of Sri Lanka, expects. And we can solemnly say that we will put our heart, soul and sinew into our performance on Saturday. Of that, the nation can rest assured.