24th March 1996

Our Own Batman

Last Sunday night, Aravinda de Silva was the toast of all Sri Lankans, along with- skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and the rest of the victorious Sri Lankan cricket team. They had dared to do the impossible, beating the much fancied Australians in great style to lift one-day cricket's most coveted prize- the World Cup.

Before a packed Gaddafi stadium in Lahore, filled with cheering Pakistanis and some vociferous Lankan supporters, Aravinda de Silva wrote his name in the record books alongside cricketing greats Clive Lloyd and Viv. Richards as only the third player to score a century in the World Cup final. As many commentators enthused, it was a masterly knock, full of controlled aggression, under immense pressure. But for those who know him well and have watched his progress from a promising school boy cricketer to his first test at Lords at the age of 18, it came as no surprise.

Aravinda has an unwavering mission to play first class cricket for Sri Lanka and at thirty is totally devoted to the game. He has no time, says his father, to devote to all the very many girl friends who haunt his every step. So young girls donate roll your pretty eyes at him or give him those beatific smiles. It just won't register with the young man who has won the accolades of the world's cricketing fans. He was chosen as the Man of the Match in the final and was man of the match four times during the World Cup achieving this honour against Zimbabwe, Kenya, India and finally Australia. Cricket obviously dominates his life.

He get fifty letters a day, says his father P. Sam de Silva smiling. De Silva Snr is a Group Manager and Accountant, of the Sumathi Group. Just before he left the house to go to Australia to play for the World XI on Tuesday he had to keep going back to answer the phone. The calls were most often from female fans.

Aravinda who looks buoyantly hearty now was a thin small made child, recalls his father. From the age of three the little boy began his batting using a plastic bat and ball given by his father. Now he plays in the big league and is classed alongside with Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Mark Waugh, the top rungetters at the World Cup.

I showed him how to bat well,, says Sam De Silva. And when boys and girls of age three showed off by singing nursery rhymes to friends and relatives, the growing cricketer demonstrated his batting techniques. At age seven, his father whose only son Aravinda is, the other being an older daughter, gave him cricket gear. He played in the neighbourhood with boys twice his age. They had to co-opt the pint- sized Aravinda in his blue shorts since they had to use his much cherished cricketing gear.

At D.S. Senanayake the inspiring genius was principal R. I T Alles who helped encourage his talent. Aravinda aged around 7 used to proudly announce to his father how he scored seventy runs playing soft ball, of course.

Indrani and Sam de Silva watched with wonder as their son showed so much talent for the game. We are both happy because cricket is a game that exposes the players to work as a team unlike say tennis, which also Aravinda played well.

At the Airport Club, Ratmalana he beat seasoned players at tennis but it was cricket we were interested in since in a way it was a training for facing life.

Aravinda was a bright student but with great tenacity he clung to playing cricket little realizing that he would one day be one of the world's best cricketers. His friends copied his notes for him while he spent time on the playing fields, practicing his strokes and bettering his technique. But, his studies were not forgotten and he showed a tenacious ingenuity when nearing the OLevel examination. He got together five of his best friends and arranged for the principal's son to coach them all. All of them emerged with more than four credits each at the exam.

Aravinda first represented Sri Lanka in 1980 on a school tour of England and then toured Australia with an under 19 side, He won the Schoolboy cricketer of the Year in 1983 and played his first Test for Sri Lanka against England at Lords, Last season, he had an amazing run with the bat playing for the English county Kent.

He loves music, fast cars, snooker, wildlife and tennis but upto now has shown no marked partiality for any girl. When the time comes, he will choose his future bride and announce it to us, his parents, says his father with a smile. Laconically he adds, After all, it is said, marriages are made in heaven, so be it. My wife and I will accept his choice.

Aravinda must warm the heart of many a parent not only because of his cricketing prowess, but also because he does not take liquor or smoke. I am proud that my son is a teetotaler, says his father.

He is a caring man, though many think otherwise. Like his mother he is an introvert but once he takes to a person, he will go all out to help. Ò He tells us how Aravinda took under his wing a drug addict from a poor family in their neighbourhood and helped him get out of the drug habit. He helps the cancer drive with their programmes and also volunteers to help in drug and alcohol prevention efforts.

Simplicity seems to be a key word in the de Silva family life and Aravinda is no exception. We never cultivated habits of giving him special food and we made it a point to let him mix with and make friends with poor children. He grew up knowing both sides of life, de Silva Snr says.

Today Aravinda returning home after a tour abroad asks for dhal curry, seen sambol, pol sambol both with lots of maldive fish and string hoppers and pittu. No puddings or sophisticated esaraha kame for him. He also does not eat beef.

He is also religious and carries a picture of Lord Buddha with him whenever he travels. Just before a match, he keeps the picture on a table and worships it. He is sensitive to the religion he is born into, adds his father. Australian journalists Robert Chaddock and Ron Reed reporting on the World Cup final in Lahore detailed how the Sri Lankan team gathered in the dressing room and prayed for two minutes after their victory.

No doubt all of Sri Lanka is proud of Aravinda and hopes that he will oblige us all with more spectacular cricket.

Continue to Plus page 2 - Competing parents: where do children go?