The Fifth Column

9th May 1999

Of World Cup and bomb threats

"Thaaththa" Bindu Udagedera asked, "will Australia and West Indies go for the World Cup in England?"

"Why?" Percy Udagedera, Bindu's father, was puzzled, "why shouldn't they go?"

"Why, thaaththa, a bomb has exploded in London killing some people…"

"But I'm sure they will be there. After all, it is the World Cup…"

"But thaaththa," Bindu protested, "they didn't say that when a bomb exploded in Colombo…"

"Why, remember what happened when the Australians recently played in the West Indies?" Percy asked.

"What happened then, thaaththa?"

"The Australian captain was threatened with death while on the field…"

"And they didn't walk away?"

"They stayed and completed the game" Percy said, "now, would that have been tolerated if it happened here?"

"Of course not; some teams would have refused to come to Sri Lanka ever…"

"That's the way it is" Percy conceded, "but we can hardly afford to blame them…"

"Why do you say that, thaaththa?"

"Why, Bindu, look at what is happening in our own Cricket Board"

"But now that will be sorted out by the courts, won't it, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.

"It will, but one never knows what Seeni Bola might do next…"

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, remember when someone wanted to contest the Board Presidency last year he didn't allow him to contest saying he hadn't played enough cricket…"

"But that is a reasonable argument, thaaththa" Bindu protested.

"But then, when somebody's uncle who has played even less cricket wants to contest, he allows that person to do so…"

"Then that is wrong…" Bindu conceded.

"Of course it is wrong" Percy retorted, "and that was done because

otherwise Seeni Bola would have lost his own job…"

"But now the courts have taken over…" Bindu said.

"But Seeni Bola waited until the matter went to courts despite knowing that it would cause a lot of harm to the preparations of our team for the World Cup…"

"But thaaththa," Bindu asked, "do you think we can win the World Cup?"

"It is always harder to stay at the top than to get there, Bindu" Percy said.

" So, who do you think will win?"

"What matters is not whether we will win or not, Bindu" Percy said.

"Then?"

"What matters is whether we can defend our title gracefully, so we must all wish them well…"

"They say the odds of our winning are one in eight…"

"Well" said Percy; "no one favoured us the last time either…"

"So" Bindu wanted to know, "you still think we can win…"

"Well" Percy smiled, " there is one sure way we can win the Cup…"

"And what's that?" Bindu wanted to know, "ask Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana to open the batting again?"

"No" Percy said, " we may have to use a different team…"

"And who is that? Should we have more younger players?"

"No, No," Percy said, "I'm not talking of cricketers really" Percy conceded.

"Then who will be in the team?" Bindu was puzzled.

"Those who played and won Wayamba for the blues and also those who won the Cricket Board elections for you-know-who…" Percy suggested.

"We may win the World Cup that way, thaaththa" Bindu agreed, "but there will be another problem then…"

"What's that?"

"There might be a court case and we might lose the World Cup thereafter…" Bindu said.

Percy didn't disagree.

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