By Charles.S.Perera

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The media lost no time to praise Kumar SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Collin Cowdrey Lecture at Lords hoping the government of Sri Lanka to react against Sangakkara so that they couldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  make an issue of it to drawƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the angerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the people towards the government and bring another wave of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ disapproval of the government by the International Community. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But it endedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in no-event disappointing miserably theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  anti government media, and others who wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hoping to profit from the situation.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kumara Sangakkara delivered a commendable lecture in exemplary lucidity and a display ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  un-affected sincerity.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He was able to keep the listener enraptured without a moment ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  distraction ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ keeping strictly within the topic he ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ chose,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Spirit of Sri Lankan Cricket.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He steered well away from politics keepingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  close to his subject mentioning ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ appropriately the people who mattered in Sri Lankan Cricket.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  His anecdotes and humour went completely with ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the theme ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  his speech.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One who had read the mediaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and not listened toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s speech would think ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that Kumar Sangakkara had made his lecture an occasion to criticise the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ GovernmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If any one whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  listened to Kumar SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cleverly worded speech thinks it contained any political innuendos, then ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ one would have to be a listener biased against the government of Sri Lanka desiring ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to hear criticism of the Government.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ On the contrary to that expectation, Sangakkara kept himself wisely and cleverly away from politics in keeping every important issue he touched in the course of his lecture within the context of the subject the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-spirit of Sri Lankan CricketƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He drew the attention of the raptly attentive audience from the beginning of his lectureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  light humour , ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and recounting the history of Sri Lankan Cricket when it was introduced to Sri Lanka by the British Missionaries,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and then howƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  from its elitist beginning it became a popular national game played by all.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He did not fail to give credit to his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rotundƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ senior who brought the game out of Colombo into a popular base outside.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He mentioned ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ HonourableƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  late Mr.Gamini Dissanyake, for his efforts to get the ICC grant Sri Lanka official Test status, for his preparing the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Asgiriya ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ cricket pitch to a world standard. Thereafter, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Cricket become a popular pastime of a nation, with the one-day matches.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There were many awaiting to make Kumar SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Cowdre LectureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a means to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-slamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (a popular media word in Sri Lanka) the government. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But they miserably failed as Sangakkara neither praised the Government or lashed out at it but made a lecture on Sri Lankan Cricked which even the lateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Cowdrey would have been proud of.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He recounted his frightful experience of the Lahore attackƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in detail with ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dark humour ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- which drew the laughter of the audience.

He touched on the terrible news he had of the tsunami, and how ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a moment when they did not know what to do the inspiration came from ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Muralitharan, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚«ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  While we were thinking as to how we could help, Murali was quick to provide the inspiration. Murali is a guy who has been pulled from all sides during his career, but he always stood only alongside his team-mates and countrymen. Without any hesitationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚»,

In the whole of SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s speech he did not use any moment to be boastful of his achievements and seek credit for himself but he gave readily withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  great generosity praise toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  others, standing modestlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the shade of their appreciable qualities.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  HeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  spoke of how a great tragedy in Sri Lanka brought the sworn enemies together. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We visited shelter camps run by the Army and the LTTE and even some administered in partnership between them. Two bitter warring factions brought together to help people in a time of need.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ About the criticism of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, there is nothing secret about it every one in Sri Lanka is aware of the scandals surrounding it , and if ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sangakkara had left it out, the topic he selected to speak,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Spirit of Sri Lanka Cricket would have been incomplete .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sangakkara spoke about it withoutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rancour , just made the audience understandƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  how any ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-administrationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ could affect those who are really concerned, in this case ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lankan Cricketers whoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  play the game they love, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which has become the passion of a Nation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There are scandals every where about the administration of sports.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In France there are no end of it with the football clubs, so are they in UK and Italy.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Most important passage of his Cowdrey Lecture was about the terrorism in Sri Lanka. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Speaking to an audience of important personalities in LondonƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the denƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the terrorist ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rumpƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ who had been carrying the terrorist flag even at the Lords stadium (7 July,2009) to protest against the Sri Lankan cricket team, SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s lecture would have been a shockwave.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The UK Channel 4 would have also hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  an unexpected shock, as its attempt toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  discredit Sri Lanka with their doctored documentary ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The Sri Lanka Killing Fields.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ may have been a washout among the London viewers after the SangakkaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s portrayal of terrorism .
But SangakkaraƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  spokeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  neither of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  nefarious scheming of the ruthless terrorists, and the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ activities ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the terrorist ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rumpƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  or the anti ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”Sri Lanka movements to bring dishonour and discredit to Sri Lanka. He ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ spoke ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of terrorism as he saw it, and as it affectedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lankan Cricket and the suffering caused to the people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He spoke of the horrors of the 1983 race riots and how the Sinhala people sheltered their Tamil friends and Tamil neighbours, so that no harm would come to them from rioting goons.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He did not leave the period of terrorƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the JVP and related how a wonderful man like D.H.de Silva was miraculously saved when the gun held to his head by a JVP terrorist jammed.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He gave a lesson to the Tamil diaspora in explain what it ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is for him to be a Sri Lankan.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He put it so well as nobody has done so far, except perhaps theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  late Mr. Laksman Kadirgamar. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What he said in his own words is, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.With me are all my people. I am Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim and Burgher. I am a Buddhist, a Hindu, a follower of Islam and Christianity. I am today, and always, proudly Sri LankanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He cleverly took away the limelight from him to focus it on the Sri Lanka Soldiers, when he so movingly recounted his meeting with a Soldier at a check point.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-A week after our arrival in Colombo from Pakistan I was driving about town and was stopped at a checkpoint. A soldier politely inquired as to my health after the attack. I said I was fine and added that what they as soldiers experience every day we only experienced for a few minutesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.. That soldier looked me in the eye and replied: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-It is OK if I die because it is my job and I am ready for it. But you are a hero and if you were to die it would be a great loss for our country.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Listening to that as he put it, you could not have ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ helped feeling tears welling intoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  your eyes for the heroism of our Soldiers who areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ever prepared to give their lives selflessly, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for the cause of their beloved land.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thank you Kumar Sangakkara.