Veteran former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya is obviously pleased to have struck form at the right time for his team. His superlative century against India on Tuesday put the hosts tantalizingly close to victory in the Asia Cup. When I returned to the Taj Samudra Hotel late at night, I found him relaxing with friends near the entrance. I requested for a picture and a friend jokingly asked which newspaper will publish it. Jayasuriya read my media pass. “Arab News! Where is it published from?” Jayasuriya asked. I proudly told him that it was the Middle East’s leading English language daily and was published simultaneously from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Despite his star status and major exploits on the cricket field, Jayasuriya is a modest and humble man. He readily agreed for the picture though any other star after a tiring day in the field would have liked to be left alone. “I am happy that I am getting runs now at this crucial stage of the tournament,” Jayasuriya said. He had also provided a crucial breakthrough by having Sehwag caught behind.
Car for the Man of the Series
Asia Cup organizers have provided added incentive for the players to perform. A shining silver Maruti Esteem has been offered as the prize to the Man of the Series of the tournament. Based on the performances so far in the competition, the top contender for the coveted prize seems to be Jayasuriya with his two centuries. Even if he does modestly well in the final against India on Sunday, he will be the hands down winner of the car.
Ganguly Satisfied
Indian captain Saurav Ganguly was a much relaxed and satisfied man as he faced the press after the team reached the final of the Asia Cup. “Yes we did well as a team and I am happy that we have reached the final. All of you can see that there is total unity in the team. This is team India,” said Ganguly. He added: “I hope that the gentleman who talked about disunity in the team also saw that we are one unit.” Ganguly did not mention the name of the team’s detractor and the after the press conference everyone kept guessing who it could be. The unanimous view was that it must be some former player writing a column in a newspaper though nobody could say for sure who it was.
Team Line-Up Row
Before the India-Sri Lanka match began, there was some confusion about the Indian team line-up. The list given to the Lankans did not contain the name of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. But while talking to the TV presenter after winning the toss, Ganguly said that Harbhajan was playing. The Lankans protested to match referee Mike Procter and wanted the toss to be done again because they were not given the right Indian team. However, Procter decided against a retoss and said that Ganguly had admitted that it was a “genuine mistake” on his part and the Lankans should accept it as that. “We were very unhappy about what happened. This is an international match and mistakes of this nature cannot be allowed to happen,” said Ajit Jayasekera, the Sri Lankan team manager.
Umpiring Odd Couple
Umpires David Shepherd and Billy Bowden make a truly odd couple when they walk out to the middle for a match or even when they are having breakfast at their hotel restaurant. I caught up with them at the restaurant and they willingly posed for a photograph. “Don’t let this monogram come into the picture,” joked Shepherd while pointing to Bowden’s black New Zealand T-shirt with Team New Zealand embroidered along with the trademark leaf Shepherd and Bowden are the two most experienced umpires and are likely to stand in the final involving India and Sri Lanka. Shepherd, famous for his “Nelson shuffle” when the team score is 111, told me that it was a superstitious belief to ward off evil. But it was in favor of the team batting, I told him. “Yes, but I do it for both the teams,” countered the genial Shepherd. I promised to e-mail the photo to Shepherd. “What is e-mail?” he asked jokingly.
