One of the greatest all-rounders that world cricket has ever seen; Sir Garfield Sobers who arrived in the country last morning brought back memories from Sri Lanka’s test match against the West Indies way back in 1967 and focusing on the dissenting state of cricket in his country at the press conference that was held this evening.
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Sobers, 80 goes down the books of records as being the best all-rounder ever to set foot on cricket playing in the 1970’s-1980’s era where West Indies dominated the gentleman’s game. Currently in the island for the West Indies vs Sri Lanka encounter that was dedicated in memory of Sir Garfield Sobers and notable Sri Lankan cricketing stalwart Michael Tissera, he believes that Sri Lanka cricket flows out with the passion and enthusiasm.
Speaking at the press conference, Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee chairman Sidath Wettimuny brought to light on the short stint Sobers took up coaching duties of the national team. It was in 1982 that Sri Lanka got test status and the then chairman of SLC, late Gamini Dissanayake invited him over to visit Sri Lanka to take up duties as coach.
“I was at the receiving end of that year of coaching and it was one of the best years of my life and having Sir Gary besides us, we just felt like we were behind a king.”
It was a walk down the memory lane with the legend as he reminisced fond memories from that encounter which the West Indies islands played against Ceylon in the 1967. That had been the first instance that he had landed on Lankan soil and the Ceylonese were captained by Michael Tissera. Returning in 1982, having watched a few games during his stint, he recollects pin pointing on one player. It was Arjuna Ranathunga tha had caught his eye from the very first days in the island and predicted that he would someday make a great player.
“When I left in 1983, I knew in ten years time Sri Lanka will make a great team and what I predicted came right as Sri Lanka ended up becoming world cup winners in 1996”
Engaging in a Q & A session during the briefing, Sir Garfield Sobers had different reactions on the advent of twenty20 internationals.
“I think its going to taking sometime for West Indies cricket to come back. The players do not play for their country but end up playing twenty20 in India and other parts of the world. The players who are playing at the moment will want to perform and get selected for the IPL which is close by.”
An emotional Sobers choked-back tears when he elaborated that West Indies cricket is on the decline but ended his statement strongly mentioning that things will soon change. He had a different perspective when a question was raised on the day & night test matches and strongly believes that Barbados and the other islands should initiate them as well. It has been a practice for the grounds to be filled with spectators who would come to watch test cricket but times have changed and according to him, that would be an ideal opportunity to reawaken the spirits.
On a concluding note, Sobers pointed out that he had always played his cricket for the love of the game and not for records, money or the fame. Things have changed from the times he had played to the present but he believes that this passion is still in existence in the countries of South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. That in Sober’s words ‘will take the sport forward, eventually.’
The official trophy for the Sobers-Tissera series was also unveiled during the press conference and it is the first occasion where a trophy had been named for a series in memory of the legendary all rounder. Chairman of the Interim Committee, Sidath Wettimuny also unveiled a special coin depicting both Tissera and Sobers that would be used for the coin toss during the second test that will start tomorrow.
Sir Garfield Sobers is expected to stay till the course of the test match and award the victor the trophy.
