Pakistan bound Sri Lankan cricketers must be saluted
Let us salute and cheer the cricketers who will be representing Sri Lanka on the tour of Pakistan and hope and pray that they will perform and become permanent fixtures in the future so that the ones who think they are irreplaceable can be out of business for good.
If they win, well done, and if they lose, so be it. Sri Lanka has lost many matches with those so-called senior players in the team, so what harm is there in the young and replacement players losing. On the other hand they will come back with so much of experience that will put them in good stead for the future.
Some of the players who have refused to tour are ageing and on their way out or have performed very poorly in the recent past. Lasith Malinga has already retired from ODIs and is on his last legs in T20 cricket while Angelo Mathews has never been consistent and does not score when the team needs him most. As for Thisara Perera, his failure rate terribly out-weights his success rate.
The rest of the chickened out players seem to have got bigger than the game despite not having any dramatic performances to go by. The question that has to be asked is whether these so-called senior players who pulled out from the Pakistan tour will go there on a private tour to play in the Pakistan domestic T20 series like the Indian IPL.
Already it has been reported that some players have sought permission to play T20 cricket in the West Indies during the same time the Pakistan tour is on. No doubt players have a right to their personal safety. But are they justified to back out after the Pakistan Cricket Board has assured VIP security for players and Sri Lanka Cricket has been convinced there will not be any breaches of security. Are they really sportsmen who fulfill public expectations.
Some Sri Lankan players may be afraid to play against Pakistan who are number one in T20 Internationals.
But thanks to all of them for refusing to go. They have opened the door for others to come in. No one is indispensable.
John Gunawardena, Ragama
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What terrorist waits 10 years to attack same cricket team?
It’s been ten long years since terrorists attacked the bus carrying members of the Sri Lanka team in Pakistan and now comes the “news” that the team will be attacked once again. We don’t know what kind of a terrorist will wait ten years to target the same person or entity, especially when the Pakistan government will not be taken unawares this time and are prepared to throw in their best troops and military hardware to protect the Sri Lankan players.
We also would like to know if ever there was a terrorist attack anywhere in the world when there had been an unprecedented awareness. The Experts please speak up. I am not holding a brief for terrorists. But they too have their brains, even better brains than some security experts not to become sitting ducks when the military is prepared and waiting for them.
Sad to say today security has become a joke and the pranksters are at work indulging in some sadistic moves to watch the fun from the sidelines.
As for us Sri Lankans, we will forever suffer with this kind of Fear Phobia.
Terrorists strike when they want, not when there is an awareness like at the 2012 London Olympics that went on perfectly without disruption with so much of VVVIP Security.
RP Dias, Nawala
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Reply to hypocrisy over tour
Vajira Peiris’s (VP) diatribe (Hypocrisy of Sri Lanka cricket over Pakistan tour – letter, last week) is uncalled for. No one can force any Sri Lankan cricketer to go to Pakistan to play in a series. The players have a right to decide whether to participate or not due to the prevailing situation there. And it’s their personal matter. If they believe their life is at stake they should have a right to take precautionary measures, or even decline to participate.
But here the players are in no way preventing any other person from taking part in their absence.
It’s true the New Zealanders came here after the Easter Sunday attack. It was a decision they took which we should be grateful for.
If a player is not willing to go, but doesn’t mind if another is going instead, why should anyone get his knickers in a twist?
Sure, the Sri Lanka team is no one’s private property. That is the very reason why no one can force any player to participate.
What will VP honestly do if a ‘loved one’ was to go to a problem-ridden country for any sport activity? Be real, please!
RT Silva, Battaramulla