Goodbye Sanath

Let us stop ridiculing the man for a moment. Much has been said about his return to the team, rightly so even, but what's done is done so let us move on and appreciate a man who changed not only Sri Lankan cricket, but world cricket as well, a feat that only a handful in the history of the game can claim rights to.

In fact, I'm just going to talk about just one innings which I think is the best of the lot. He has played so many breathtaking knocks it's so hard to pick one as the best, but this in my opinion beats them all. I am not talking about his devastating 189 in Sharjah, nor his fastest 100 versus Pakistan and it's not even his 125 in the Asia Cup Final 2008 which I thought is one of the greatest ODI knocks played in recent times. The best innings by Sanath, for me, is not even a century; it is his breathtaking 79 against India in the 1996 WC preliminary round game.

That was the innings that defined him. That was the innings that made bowlers the world over excrete bricks just at the thought of bowling to him. That was the innings that changed the world cricket for good. For every six they hit, for every match they win the likes of Gilchrist, Sehwag, Gayle, McCullum and Pollard owe it to Sanath for without him neither would they have emerged, and in turn Sanath would not have been who he was if not for that innings. That was the innings that started it all.

Until then, he had some big hitting knocks - even when opening the batting - under his belt. He was known for his big hits, but there he just took it to a new level. Back in the day when there was only 15 overs of powerplay and much better pitches for bowlers, a 250 was a competitive score and 271 - which India made - was pretty much a winning score. Especially considering the fact that India, on paper at least, were much better a team and Sri Lanka were - a lot of youngsters these days don't get this - ranked minnows back then. When we look back we think what an awesome lineup we had, but the truth of the matter was that lineup became awesome because they won the World Cup; before that they were just another minnow, and inconvenience the other teams had to get through to advance.

So when he walked into the middle with Kalu, after Sachin's brilliant 100 albeit two decisions going in favor of him, Sri Lanka were not expected to win. And they certainly weren't expected to be on 42/0 after just 3 overs. It's taken for granted these days, but back then that kind of a score line was unheard of. That instilled so much fear into Azharuddin and his boys' mind it went a long way in us winning the World Cup. That innings alone created so much buzz suddenly Sri Lanka were a team to be feared of and our chasing had achieved some legendary status, almost mythical. So much so that when the two teams met in the semi-final later, Azharuddin decided to bowl first on a pitch that had so much evidence that it would crumble later on; a decision had a lot if not everything to do with that knock of Sanath. The moment Azar decided to play for Sri Lanka's (supposed) weakness than to play for India's strength, they had lost. Aravinda played one of the greatest ODI knocks of all time in that game, yet it was Sanath who had defeated the Indians even before a single ball was bowled. Such was the impact that one innings had on us winning the World Cup.

Thank you Sanath, thank you for all the memories.

Originally published here.

Sana, Please Go

Seriously, you're past your sell by date and this is not really how we want to remember you. We want to remember you as the man who changed cricket forever. We want to remember you as the man who destroyed many a bowler's career before they even started. The man who injected fear into every bowler's heart even before the game started. All that, but not like this. It is painfull to see you like you are now in the middle, it is heartbreaking. Now you're nothing but a mere shadow of the fearsome player you were, and we don't want to see a generation growing up thinking of you as the old fellow who couldn't put the bat into ball, yet found a spot in the team somehow. You're too good for that, just leave with dignity while you can, Sana. Every good thing must come to an end, and so is your career.



We remember back in the day, in mid '90s, watching you with nothing but awe as to how you could just smash the ball all the time like that, without a care in the world. There was many a great knock, that we were certain a human couldn't have played - yet you played them. A six after another, and the game was won before one quarter of it was finished. You were a treat to watch, and in case you didn't know, the number of people who turned their TVs off when you got out was far greater than the number of people who didn't. Not many people can claim that honour if I'm not mistaken. And I'm not. Not just that, you were adored and praised not only by your fans but by your opponents as well. The ones that whom you will never call friends, too. Remember that guy McGrath? You can hardly call him a friend, can you? Yet, in his autobiography he said;

It is not very often you can claim the honor of saying you changed the game for good, and Sanath can certainly claim that.

Need we say more?

You have done enough Sana, you have done so much that even in hundred years' time people will still be talking about you, and will continue to be inspired and amazed by what you did and how you did it. You are once in a generation - well, once in few generations actually - player and you were invincible when it was still your time. And that is how we want to remember you, so, please, leave while your head held high! You are a legend, and your legacy will live forever!