Cricket World Cup Win in 1996 – A vital lesson for winning over colonialism

7 Nov 2009

The Cricket world cup victory in 1996 was not a mere co-incident, but a logical result of change of attitude of all the players and the cricket administration. Until 1996, we were taught to believe that cricket is “Gentlemen’s game” and we must play according to the norms preach by White Colonial Masters.
The teams from colonized countries were suppressed and humiliated on the field by sledging and off the fields using the supremacy of media monopoly (BBC, ABC, Sky Sports) of colonial masters.

Cricket was invented by the White and they governed and controlled every aspect of it. Even the cricketing shots were categorized and people were taught to play only those cricketing shots (which are natural in their pitches and weather) documented in their books.

Until late 1990’s Sri Lanka was the under dogs and darlings of the White colonial countries. Sri Lanka team was chiefly getting defeated in matches but equally praised in Western media for being gentle on and off the field and following the rules of gentlemen’s game (which these so called white gentlemen’s never follows).

WHAT WAS THE REASON BEHIND THIS?

Just like colonial masters strategically transferred the political power in to the hands of local comprador (so called) leaders, playing cricket was mostly confined to their Anglo-Catholic colleges. The players from other schools find it very difficult to get a place in National Team. Until late 1990’s the majority of the national players were from Royal-Thomian and other Anglo-Catholic colleges. The cricket administration was also under their grip. The players coming from Anglo-Catholic system never dare to challenge their White Western master’s on or off the field. They were made to think that mere playing with White people is a privilege and should not bother even thinking of winning over them.

It all started to change in late 1990’s when Buddhist schools led by Ananda and Nalanda managed to out number the traditional Royal-Thomian supremacy in the national cricket team. In Parallel, people like Ana Punchihewa and Thilanga Sumathipala (An old Anandian and a Nalandian) came into the fore front in administrative side. The result was drastic change in the thinking of whole cricket team and the administration. For the first time a new mission of “Targeting to be the best Test cricket nation by 2000” was brought forward. New generation of the players no longer satisfied with mere playing with White nations but wanted to beat them.

The players like Jayasooriya, Kaluwitharana and Muralitheren were given free license to play with their natural potential rather than confined in to the strokes and bowls in traditional cricket books of the West.

It all came to the surface during Muralitheren saga in Australia in 1996. The Australian cricket administration and media assumed that Sri Lankan cricketers and administration will react in traditional tamed manner. But they found it wrong when Sri Lankan team led By Arjuna Ranatunga strongly reacted to defend their fellow bowler in all guns up. They knew that the new generation of cricket administration is firmly behind them. It was the Murrallitharan- Darel Hair saga that leads to the famous world cup victory in 1996.

Noticeably, four players (Arjuna, Mahanama, Gurusingha, and Darmasena) out of the winning team were from leading Buddhist schools Ananda and Nalanda while most of the other players from out side schools including Kandy and Mathara. Incidentally, the world champion team did not comprise of a single player from traditional cricket playing colleges of colonial era, the Royal-Thomian supremacy.

The 1996 world cup victory was great example of the importance of winning over local colonial debris as a pre requisite to win over colonialism.

About a decade later in 2009 the same was proved again in winning the ‘fight against terrorism’. I this historic win, more than 90% of the top politico-military leadership was comprised of these Buddhist-Schools.

Related Posts:
-    The mark of Ananada College in the fight against terrorism (6 Jan 2009)
-    The rise and fall of Royal-Thomian- Bridget's era (25 Oct 2009)
-    Neocolonialism (Origin of Compradors) – Part 1 (24 Oct 2007)
-    Raj Rajaratnam - St. Thomes College, Mt Lavinia saga (18 Oct 2009)