ARJUNA REMINISCES

Fighting for Murali, Chandana's sacrifice and a carpet sale before a World Cup final

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A carefree build up to the final worked wonders for Arjuna Ranatunga's team
A carefree build up to the final worked wonders for Arjuna Ranatunga's team © Getty

Sri Lanka's greatest day in their sporting history came exactly 21 years to this date when they won the Wills World Cup, beating Australia in the final in Lahore. Few had predicted such a fairytale ending to Sri Lanka's campaign as they had never gone beyond the first round of the previous five editions of the tournament. The entire nation erupted in joy and the State offered members of the World Cup winning squad with prime blocks of lands and national honours.

The World Cup victory is well documented, but like with any event of significance, there are always little tales or anecdotes that don't often make the usual narrative.

Arjuna Ranatunga, the charismatic captain of that side was at the heart of many little stories that shaped Sri Lanka's great success. Even before the start of the tournament, he'd steadfastly argued for young off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's inclusion in the squad even as the national selectors showed apprehension in picking Muralitharan after his controversy-riddled tour of Australia, merely a few months before.

"Unlike nowadays, only 14 players formed the World Cup squad in 1996. We had an issue in selecting the team. Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] had been called for 'throwing' in Australia a few months before the World Cup. The selectors argued that if he gets into trouble again, we will be left with only 13 players and that was a big risk," Ranatunga told Cricbuzz.

"During the 'chucking' controversy, I saw the camaraderie in the team. Everyone in the squad in Australia had supported Murali. I told the selectors that I wasn't going to lead the team without Murali. We debated about it and finally the selectors let me have him in the squad," Ranatunga recalled.

The year of 1996 also saw the height of civil war in Sri Lanka. LTTE suicide bombers had blown up the Central Bank two weeks prior to the start of the tournament. Ranatunga's gesture of fighting for the only Tamil in the team had brought the nation together. It is said that the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was an admirer of Ranatunga.

***

Ahead of the quarter-final against England in Faisalabad, the team management had decided to beef up the spin options by bringing in leg-spinner Upul Chandana. Roshan Mahanama, the senior batsman was to make way for accommodating the leggie.

But Chandana, the consummate team-man, was willing to miss out on a clash as big as a World Cup quarterfinal to ensure that a winning combination was not tinkered with.

"Roshan was a senior player and it was a tough call to leave him out. On the eve of the game, Upul came to my room. He said, we are unbeaten in the competition. We have momentum behind us. Why do you want to change the winning combination, he asked. That was very sensible reasoning," Ranatunga said.

Sri Lanka retained Mahanama. It proved to be a godsend. Chasing a target of 236, Jayasuriya had given them a flying start. But at one stage they were 198 for five, still needing 38 runs to book a place in the semifinal. There were plenty of overs left, but Sri Lanka were down to the last recognized pair. Mahanama made an unbeaten 22 and Hashan Tillakaratne 19 not out to take the team through.

"Upul was a great team man. In the semi-final in Calcutta, Roshan had cramps and Upul, the 12th man was fielding as substitute. He was one of our best fielders and we usually keep him in the circle as he was clever with direct hits. As fans started throwing objects on to the field, he came up to me and asked, 'Can I go and field in the deep?' When I asked why, he said that Aravinda [de Silva] was fielding in the deep and if something happens and Aravinda is hurt that will be big blow. So he volunteered to go to the deep."

***

The final at the Gadaffi Stadium against Australia was naturally a huge occasion but Sri Lanka had already defied pre-tournament predictions by progressing to the summit clash and weren't necessarily overawed by the enormity and significance of the task.

Ranatunga though, mistook the team's relaxed attitude for indifference and was fuming on the morning of the all-important match.

"I walked in to have breakfast and saw the Australian team there. They were all seated in one table. All wearing the same dress and there was pin drop silence. They were focusing on the game at hand," he said

"I looked around and couldn't see any of our boys. I saw Duleep (Mendis), the Manager, walking in for breakfast and asked him where they were. Duleep told me that there was a carpet sale going on at the lobby and they were all there. I was angry. I told Duleep that this is such a big occasion and these guys don't care and rushed downstairs to tell them to get off," Ranatunga added.

"When I went down, I saw the entire team there. Aravinda was bargaining for carpets. Sanath was bargaining and everyone was bargaining. I just told myself... 'Hang on, the big match pressure is getting to Australia. Our guys meanwhile are carefree. Isn't this the ideal way to go into the big final. So I joined the boys, didn't tell them anything. Eventually, I also started bargaining."

***

A united team is a successful team.
A united team is a successful team. ©Getty

A travel agent had arranged a chartered flight to take cricket fans and some VVIPs for the final in Lahore. The team was scheduled to return home a day after the final. But the team members were adamant that they wanted to return home the same night.

"Some of the seniors came and requested me that they wanted to go back home. But there was not enough room in the flight. It helped that the pilot was former Sri Lankan cricketer Sunil Wettimuny. I convinced him that the team needed to return home that night itself," Ranatunga added.

Wettimuny, the elder brother of Sidath, had represented Sri Lanka in the 1975 World Cup and posted the country's first ever half-century in an ODI before being forced to retire after being hit by a Jeff Thomson bouncer.

"As we were about to touch down in Colombo, I saw a sea of people. I had never seen such a big crowd in my life. We had a reception that afternoon at the President's House. It's usually a drive of little over an hour to get to the city from the airport. But that day we spent seven hours to get to the city. We received a grand welcome. The fans were amazing. They will remain my greatest inspiration," concluded Ranatunga.

What members of Arjuna Ranatunga's World Cup winning squad do now

Arjuna Ranatunga - Minister of Ports and ShippingAravinda de Silva - Managing Director of Ideal Motors and Chairman of SLC Cricket CommitteeSanath Jayasuriya - Chairman of Selectors at SLCRomesh Kaluwitharana - Runs a hotel in Yala wildlife park and a national selectorAsanka Gurusinha - Cricket Manager of Sri Lankan cricket teamHashan Tillakaratne - Batting Coach at SLCRoshan Mahanama - Retired as ICC Match Referee. Funds a school that he built in the war ravaged area.Kumar Dharmasena - ICC Elite Panel UmpireChaminda Vaas - Fast Bowling Coach at SLCMuttiah Muralitharan - Runs family biscuit business in Kandy and part-time coach.Pramodya Wickramasinghe - Business interestsRavindra Pushpakumara - Fast Bowling coach at SLC. On special assignment to unearth talent in Jaffna.Upul Chandana - Fielding Coach at SLCMarvan Atapattu - Cricket Coach.

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