Sri Lanka are the worthy Pepsi Independence Cup cricket champions. They achieved this honour with a highly professional team effort led admirably, efficiently and cleverly by Arjuna Ranatunga.
After having comfortably and convincingly beaten the Pakistanis in the first of three finals on Saturday, they rubbed salt to the wounds by completely outplaying the Pakistanis in the second final in Calcutta on Tuesday to emerge champions. Thus there was no need to hold the third final.
The Sri Lankan cricketers arrive today and will leave on Sunday to pit their talents against the West Indies in the Caribbean.
When the Sri lankans lost the first game in the Independence Cup to Pakistan, the critics as usual took them apart. Critics who have the knack of being wise after the event will now be cringing, heaping praise on the team.
The cricketers are not worried about the criticism. They are aware that these critics have not handled a bat and are out only to hammer nails into the smooth functioning of the team and unsettle the fine team spirit that is existing.
Every member played his part to perfection in bringing Sri Lanka this triumph and giving confirmation of the fact that we are the world champions in this type of game.
While most teams seem to concentrate on pace or seam to bring them victory in the 'cowboy game', the Lankans have added a new concept and that is winning trophies with spin as their chief weapon.
In this hour of triumph congratulations should go to every member of the team, coach Bruce Yardley, Manager Duleep Mendis and Physio Alex Kountouri for a splendid job done.
It is heartening to note that the Lankans are showing consistency in every department of the game. They are now not only an awesome power but a team that organisers would love to have and spectators will pay ungrudgingly to see.
Sri Lanka's aim is to be the best test playing nation by the year 2000. For that aim to be realised there are still three more years to go. We are confident that they will easily and safely cross that bridge if cricketing landmines are not planted by their destructive critics.
Cricket is a team game and it would not be fair to single out names for mention. But then can the names of Ranatunga, Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Atapattu, Mahanama, Sajeewa de Silva and Chaminda Vaas be forgotten when the team's success is spoken or written about?
They performed well which was very important and with that success was automatic in coming. It was also heartening to see the emerging opening partnership between Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu. Whether the Lankans will persist with them in the highly competitive test arena will be interesting to watch.
In the midst of this great triumph comes the news that the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers has been approached and negotiations are underway to get the great man to plan Sri Lanka's defence for the World Cup in 1999.
While non can challenge the fact that Sir Garfield Sobers was the greatest allrounder that the game has produced, questions would be asked whether he would be the right influence on the team.
It certainly would have been a bit embarrassing to the present coach Bruce Yardley to have learnt of these moves. However Yardley has said that if Sobers joined the national team it would be easier for him to focus on the juniors. Therein lies what Yardley feels about the whole thing.
Yardley is now quietly getting to know the team and working harmoniously with them. The results in Sharjah and India show this. There is no doubt that Yardley would have been embarrassed.
Will this lead to another Whatmore episode. It will be worth watching.