Manuel New ICC Umpire

By Bernie Wijesekera

Peter manuel, who has been nominated to the International panel of umpires, replacing B. C. Cooray, started his school career at St. Patrick's College, Karachi, in Pakistan at the age of 10 years.

Manuel a man of few words, was in Pakistan for six years, before he completed his academic career at the Alethea International School in Colombo.

A keen student of the game but failed to wield the willow at school level, Peter, at the age of 17 joined BRC in 1967 and proved to be an utility allrounder and played alongside with the likes of the Reid Brothers, Claude, Dr. Buddy, Barney, David Heyn and Jerry Woutersz with success, until 1981.

A leading umpire in the local cricket scene and commands much respect on and off the field, he has already umpired two Tests and 18 one dayers.

A senior executive at HongKong and Shanghai Bank was interviewed by the Sunday Times after his elevation to the International panel by the ICC.

Q: When did you take upto umpiring?

A: In 1984, after I decided to call it a day of playing competitive cricket. I thought, I have to keep myself occupied and further wanted to give back something to this wonderful game of character building, which in turn helped me to go places in life.

Further, it was hard grinding on the field, but I enjoyed to the fullest. Today it's too much of professionalism and it's very difficult to satisfy them at all times. But I believe in the human element and stand by its decisions than watching TV replays, he added.

Q: What is your ultimate objective?

A: Well, to do proud to the country and to my fellow members in the umpiring fraternity.

One must have confidence in oneself in not only officiating at the middle be it at home or abroad. Do your best and not succumb to pressure, he added. This is not confined to umpiring alone, but in any walks of life.

I don't mind umpiring in any country and do my best. But in the end would be, too delighted to stand in a game at Lord's given the opportunity, bespectacled Manuel smiled.

Finally he thanked the Hong Kong Bank hierarchy for giving him all the encouragement and support to go places in his umpiring career.

The 'Greatest' shuffles out 100 grand for elders home

By Ira Berkow

A Jewish home for the aged, peopled mainly by Holocaust survivors, was in danger of closing its doors in upper Manhattan for lack of money. A spot on the television news described the plight. Soon after, a call was received at the home. "This is Muhammad Ali," the voice said, "and I want to donate a hundred thousand dollars so the old folks don't have to move out." The director of the home who answered the phone, believed it to be a crank call and hung up

The phone rang again. Same voice: "It's me I'm the champ." Same hang-up.

On the third try, Muhammad Ali convinced the woman that it was really him. And his100,000 contributed in good measure to saving the home.

That was 20 years ago. "She promised she wouldn't tell anybody," Ali recalled recently, in the indistinct voice that is the result of Parkinson's syndrome. "I don't look for praise for good deeds, except from God. God knows what people do. God would say, 'You want them to praise you'?"

The inident with the Jewish "old folks"' home, as Ali called it, happened to be remembered by a visitor to Ali's Manhattan hotel suite, and was in keeping with the award he and the writer Thomas Hauser were to receive at the Givat Haviva Educational Foundation dinner.

The award citation referred to Ali's efforts for "world peace." But what, he was asked, can one individual do in efforts for world peace? He said something, which only his wife, Lonnie, could make out. They have been married for 12 years and she hears well what a casual listener strains to catch.

"I want to do whatever I can," Ali had said. What he does, it seems — and this might be too sensitive for readers of such hard-boiled sports columns as this — what he does is bring love. Like when a small boy in the hotel lobby asked for his autograph, got it, and then stood on tiptoe to kiss him. People recognise Ali on the streets of Paris and Lahore, Pakistan, in Iraq and Sudan — all places he has visited recently. He said he has invitations to visit 64 more countries.

"Ali is moved by people," Lonnie Ali said, "and by human suffering. What he does, he does from the heart. When we went into the Afghan relief village last year, Ali would find the dirtiest, most godforsaken kids, with sores and runny noses, and he'd pick 'em up, put 'em on his lap and hug them, and kiss them."

A visitor smiled at this. "You sound like a Mother Teresa," he said to Muhammad Ali.

Ali ran a thick, slow hand around his broad face. "Prettier," he said.

He has always been pretty, of course, though he is a little slower in stride, to be sure, at age 56, and he has put on more than a few pounds since he was the three time world heavyweight champion. He reached for the bag of oatmeal cookies on the table.

"No other champs, not Sugar Ray Robinson, not Joe Louis, none of 'em did what I did," he said. "Sugar Ray was a beautiful fighter, and Joe, he brought pride to the black people. But I was controversial, I didn't believe in the Vietnam War — and I won that fight. I changed my name from Cassius Clay to Md. Ali — all that put together makes it different. And no one ever predicted the round he'd knock someone out in, and in poetry."

The visitor recalled one example: "Moore will go in four." Which is when Archie Moore in fact was dispatched. But Ali, like most authors, felt that an excerpt left something to be desired. He recited: "When you come to the fight/Don't block the aisle/Don't block the door/Because Moore will fall in four."

Ali once told Joe Louis that if both were in their prime, Ali would beat him. Louis said, "You know I had a Bum-of-the-Month club." Ali said, "I know." Louis said, "You have been one of the bums." Ali smiled when this was recalled.

"Been no contest," he said. Then he pushed back from his chair, and rose. "Joe shuffled," he said. His tie dangling, Ali imitated Louis' crouch and stolid approach.

"I," Ali said with pride, "danced. He couldn't have touched me." Suddenly his fists were jabbing and hooking. And Ali, whose gait only a half-hour earlier was as stiff as that of a sleepwalker, was now doing the Ali Shuffle.

He put it into overdrive, his feet flying, his belly jiggling. Enough. He grinned, slumped back into the chair. He was breathing about as hard as when he fought the Thrilla in Manila.

"The Shuffle," he said between nearly closed lips, "gonna make you scuffle." The Champ laughed and reached for another cookie.

— New York Times News Service

Frank 'Big Head' Worrell makes it to the top

By Bruce Maurice

Frank Maclinne Mortimer are very unlikely names for a cricketer. Nevertheless they are Worrell's. Perhaps that may be the reason why score cards or the press have never given him his full name or initials. He first saw the light of day on the 1st of August 1924, at St. Michael in Barbados. His brother Livingstone was born in 1920 and his sister Grace 6 years after him. The house where Worrell was born was hardly a stone's throw from a cricket ground. His parents went to live in America and he was brought up by his grandmother.

In 1929 he entered an elementary school - Roebuck Boy's School and then in 1937 he entered Combermere College and was there until 1943. His debut in first-class cricket was at Combermere when he was only 13 years, and in October he was in the first eleven. In those days he was only a left-arm spin bowler and as he did so well he was called up to practice with the first eleven.

But Worrell was not at all happy with this set up. He was only 13 years and the other first eleven players - quite naturally - resented a junior playing with them. His own classmates felt jealous of him and began to boycott him. But for Worrell the worst was still to come. One of the masters simply could not stand his presence in the first eleven and began to make him the target of his wrath. Whatever happened, whoever was responsible he always steered the blame onto Worrell's shoulders and was entering him in the black book, so that every week he was called up by the Headmaster for a caning.

The Headmaster himself got sick of performing this exercise every week and decided to give Worrell a telling-off in front of the whole school.

"Since you got into the first eleven team Worrell, we have had nothing but trouble with you. You seem to think that just because you play cricket you can do what you like. But you cannot."

That was the worst moment of Worrell's life and he even thought of giving up cricket. And from that day Worrell was named "The Big Head." This made the seniors hate him more than ever, while his own classmates laughed and jeered at him. In no time the news had gone round Barbados that Worrell was called a Big Head at school.

In one match it was obvious that Worrell would not be required to bat. He was to go in at number eleven and there was only a few minutes left for play.

There was a film on at the local cinema which Worrell wanted to see. So after getting permission from his skipper he was leaving the ground.

On his way out whom should he bump into, but his tormentor-in-chief. Needless to say he was reported to the Headmaster and although Worrell went to great lengths to explain that he had got permission to leave, he was penalised - suspended from cricket altogether. The year was 1940 and the suspension was lifted only when the Headmaster had to go for an operation to America. Worrell finally left school in 1943 and discovered to his horror that the Big Head legend had spread far beyond the perifery of Combermere. So he left Barbados and went to live in Trinidad. But after sticking it out there for only one month he returned to Barbados and took a job as an Insurance Agent.

Then came the turning point in his career.

It was still 1943 and the match was against Trinidad. He was sent in as night watchman and scored 64 and in the next match he made 188.

It was the first century of his career. Then came the finest innings of his career, the innings that projected Worrell to the cricketing world and which Worrell himself always regarded as the finest innings of his career.

He scored 308 not out and with John Goddard who made 218 not out, put on 502 for the fourth wicket for Barbados against Trinidad. However, this record was shattered 2 years later again against Trinidad when he and Clyde Walcott put on 574 runs. Worrell making 255 not out and Clyde Walcott 314 not out.

But he was still haunted by the Big Head legend and thought he will try his luck in Jamaica.

Worrell was certain that an incorrect legend could not hop a thousand miles of ocean. And in Jamaica it was that he made his home with his wife Velda - nee Brewster and daughter Lana.

First and second Classics of 1998

King of Kings takes the 2000 Guineas

By Ismail Khan

The prestigious Guineas Stakes 1998, the 2000 Guineas sponsored by Sagitta and the 1000 Guineas also sponsored by Sagitta went the way of favourites, second choice and first choice in order of merit. But none of our Sri Lankan punters cottoned on to the winners though some had the consolation prize winners.

This surely looks the trendsetter for the current flat term. And with the Derby on next month it is best to rowe in with the horses with the mostest. I mean bettingwise.

Another point - this year's 2000 Guineas went to A.P. O'Brien trained colt King of Kings Irish way while the 1000 Guineas went the way of Emirates CAPE VERDI trained by Saeed Bin Suroor in the desert kingdom of UAE.

That too looks good news as it will be only a handful of foreign competitors who will be taking part, home contingent taking the bulk of it.

Though on paper it looks as if British horses for the present are outclassed in the classics, it is always good to have an eye on them, as with trainers of the calibre of Henry Cecil, M. Johnstone, M. Stoute, R. Charlton and P. Walwyn, anything is possible. So beware. Don't put the horse behind the cart.

Now over to the first classic 1998 the 2000 Guineas run on Saturday May 2, at Newmarket.

The big day started with Henry Cecil drawing first blood with his three year old CAPRI ridden by K. Fallon in the opener the Culford Conditions Stakes. In this event L. Dettori ridden and Saeed Bin Suroor trained Sea Wave just missed the target.

The next event - the Mayer Parry Maiden Stakes went to Barry Hills trained SHEER VIKING ably handled by D. Holland from Thunder Dragon failing to breathe fire at the last moment though French rider O'Peslier was breathing down his neck.

The third event on the card the Torch Motor Policies at Lloyds Rated Handicap over 10 furlongs went the way of apprentice ridden in form AMERICAN WHISPER on whom young C. Lowther rode a brilliant race. Paul Cole's Future Prospect ridden by T. Quinn did not carry enough steam to overhaul American Whisper.

Then the 2000 Guineas proper saw 18 first class thoroughbreds face the starter with French challenger Xaar going out much favoured. But rider Michael Kinane riding O'Brien's KING OF KINGS had different ideas. In the bunch early on KING OF KINGS unleashed a terrific rattle at the last moment to inch out Lend A Hand ridden by Holland by a good margin, Border Arrow finishing third.

This was the rare magic touch of a master rider who looks ready to pounce on anything big on offer this term.

The Dubai Racing Club Palace House Stakes saw ex-South African rider Muis Roberts at its best on B. McMahon's YORKIES BOY who came the shortest way home to beat My Best Valentine ridden by R. Cochrane.

Pat Eddery was seen to best advantage in the very next event - the Ladbrokes Handicap bringing in SHELTERING SKY trained by J. Dunlop with a well timed run to beat off 40/1 outsider Hill Magic.

The curtain came down on the 2000 Guineas day with M. Kinane booting home the only double riding INSATIABLE with much credit for M. Stoute though he was not so well off from the gates. Musalsal (M. Hills) finished runner-up in this event which rang the curtain down on the 2000 Guineas day.

The 1000 Guineas which was run on Sunday May 3 as expected by most on-course punters saw Frankie Dettori not unduly troubled as his mount CAPE VERDI just crashed home to a comfortable win.

Mercedes Benz golf contest on May 16

Diesel & Motor Engineering Co.Ltd. (DIMO) together with The Royal Colombo Golf Club will stage the Mercedes Benz Sri Lanka Country Finals Golf Tournament this year.

The tournament is recognised in the Sri Lankan golf circuit as a prestigious prelude to the regional and international finals which will take place later this year.

The competition is scheduled to be held on May 16 at the Royal Colombo Golf Club premises commencing at 6.30 am. The tournament is limited to 200 participants.Entries will be entertained at the RCGC on a first come first serve basis.

The contest which is being held for the seventh consecutive year, will showcase Sri Lanka golf talent in the international arena.

At the press conference to announce the competition in the picture on left: Shiran de Zoysa (vice captain RCGC), Gihan de Silva (Captain RCGC), Ranjith Pandithage (CEO Dimo), Sarath Ganegoda (Finance Director Dimo), Channa Weerawardena (DGM Automobile Sales Dimo) and Hiranjan Welagedera (Manager Passenger Cars Dimo)

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