Date-stamped : 27 Jan96 - 14:17
Friday 26, January 1996

Genial nature hides Ranatunga`s inner strength

COLOMBO, Thursday - Arjuna Ranatunga has a genial demeanour mask-
ing  an  inner  strength that has been an essential ingredient in
his rise to the top of Sri Lankan cricket.

Since his debut as an 18-year-old schoolboy in Sri Lanka`s  inau-
gural  test,  against  England  in  1982, Ranatunga has enjoyed a
career of mounting personal achievement.

Yet the path to the  summit  for  Sri  Lanka`s  captain,  who  is
preparing  to  play  in his fourth World Cup, has had its trouble
spots.

Ranatunga was twice dropped on disciplinary grounds,  but  fought
his  way back into the side to become his country`s most success-
ful skipper.

His batting record at international level is matched only by Ara-
vinda  de  Silva  among Sri Lankans. Ranatunga has to date scored
3,410 runs in 61 tests and made 4,908 runs at a strike rate of 80
per 100 balls in 179 one-day matches.

To underline his value in limited overs  internationals,  he  has
captured 74 wickets at gentle medium pace.

Although a sturdy figure, Ranatunga plays with a deceptive  ease,
whether  bowling,  making runs with sweetly-timed strokes or when
fielding.

An attacking left-hander, he  has  scored  two  hundreds  and  32
half-centuries  in  one-day internationals, many of his runs made
with deft placements on either side of the  wicket.  To  increase
the  run  rate urgently, he unleashes his signature drives square
of the wicket and mighty blows over long-on.

Off the field, Ranatunga is very much the  family  man,  spending
his  time with his two children after a working day at one of the
island`s leading insurance companies.

"There`s nothing I like better than to relax and  play  with  the
children,`` he said.

On the field, Ranatunga cherishes most the day he led  Sri  Lanka
to  their  first  test victory overseas, against New Zealand last
March.

"That was one of the finest moments in my life,`` he says, adding
that  another  treasured  memory  is the 86 he scored to help his
side beat India in a one-day thriller in Sharjah in 1989.

Ranatunga`s genial nature has been put to  the  test  during  Sri
Lanka`s current tour of Australia.

Ball-tampering allegations against Sri Lanka, off-spinner Muttiah
Muralitharan  called  for  throwing, and heated exchanges between
members of the touring team and the Australians have  provided  a
traumatic run up to the World Cup.

Impressive wins over the hosts and West Indies during  the  World
Series  one-day  competition  have been among Sri Lanka`s happier
tour memories but, even  so,  Ranatunga  is  cautious about   his
team`s World Cup chances.

"We have been playing well recently  and  team  morale  has  been
high.  If the breaks come our way we should make the final rounds
at least,`` he said.

Source : Lake House/Lanka Internet Services

<END> Contributed by Ravi (sista@*.latech.edu)