Coca-Cola Cup final offers hope of temporary relief
Charlie Austin - 4 August 2001
Notwithstanding some pyrotechnics from Virender Shewag and the
possibility of an epic clash between India and Sri Lanka in the final
of the Coca-Cola Cup on Sunday, this triangular series will not
remembered for the cricket, which has been overshadowed by events off
the field.
It did not make an auspicious start two weeks ago when opposition
supporters decided to stage anti-government rally in Colombo to
protest at the President Chandika Kumaratunga's decision to suspend
parliament.
Practices were interrupted and the New Zealand team saw the tension
first hand when their bus mistakenly turned down a road full of
protesters, who were being beaten back by tear gas.
The Indian and Kiwi captains played down the affair. Sourav Ganguly
declared that they "were used to it in Sri Lanka" and Stephen
Fleming diplomatically said they felt "perfectly safe."
Meanwhile a row over the non-payment of the construction company that
built the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium eventually led to
political authorities canceling the three matches in Dambulla because
of the risk of `sabotage' in spite of repeated assurances from the
constructors that they had no intention of interrupting the games.
The decision dealt a cruel blow to the series by forcing the poor
Premadasa curator to re-use already dusty pitches to cater for the
extra games. The resulting pitches produced dour cricket and low
totals.
The Kiwis opted for a spot of fresh air in the hills and headed off
for a four-day break in Kandy. Unfortunately they returned clutching
their stomachs, as a bout of food poisoning ran through the team,
including their captain.
When LTTE cadres attacked the international airport and Air Force
base, the whole tournament was thrown into doubt, as CNN pictures
flashed around the world to concerned wives and families. Again, the
managers and captains pledged their support after assurances from the
Sri Lankan board, but they really had little option anyway, as the
airport was closed.
In such a climate it was perhaps unsurprising that attendances at the
games were shockingly low. One can understand small crowds in the New
Zealand-India games, but not in the Sri Lankan day night matches which
are usually packed to the rafters.
Sri Lankans, it seems, have other things on their minds and live
cricket, normally a tonic for such societal slumps, took a back seat.
Colombo residents are short of cash at the moment and with the airport
bombings threatening to send the already bruised economy into a
nosedive, they may have preferred to save their rupees for more
essential expenditure.
With evening power cuts apparently increasing the incidence of
burglaries and an air of instability hanging heavy in the air, cricket
fans clearly opted for the safety of their homes, where they could be
whisked away into a wonder world, as Navjot Sidhu's recommended one
used a `long spoon when eating with the devil' or sagely pointed out
that a `cow produces more than butter.'
Generally Sidhu's colourful commentary has been contrasted by some
dour cricket, though, thankfully, there have been some moments to
cherish: two pugnacious hundreds by Nathan Astle, a match winning
performance by rookie allrounder Suresh Perera, a belligerent innings
by Yuvraj Singh against Sri Lanka, and an astonishing 69-ball hundred
from Virender Sehwag.
Let's hope then that the tournament ends on a high and that the
cricket finally takes centre stage. In such troubled times, the value
of cricket is clearly put into perspective, but tomorrow's final at
least offers Sri Lankans an opportunity to temporarily forget their
problems.
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