Murali should have been made captain of Sri Lankan cricket team
by Durand Appuhamy
No matter what exacting standards the Selectors set for the captaincy of a Test side, Murali would have passed them all summa cum laude. Therefore he merited to be made the captain a long time ago.
Somehow the Selectors ignored him as they did Chamida Vaas. They appear to be thoroughly prejudiced against bowlers becoming captains of our side. There was no excuse this time, given the fact that the Selectors were privy to Murali’s retirement from Test Cricket. They should have made him the captain so that he could have retired as one of the great captains of our cricketing side.
It is not clear whether he will play in the next two Test matches. If he is expected to participate, I hope the Selectors will consider him and appoint him captain. He has been a match-winner on many occasions in the past. Captaincy would give him enormous satisfaction and a fitting reward for his services to Sri Lankan cricket more than mere verbal encomiums. As captain, if he also manages to win the matches against Dhoni who "stole" the ICC trophy from us, it would really be a glorious retirement.
I would also urge the Kandy Municipal Council to bestow on Murali the Freedom of the City. As someone suggested in The Island newspaper he is really an icon for unifying our divided society. May his example on and off the field be a rallying call to all of us to project our Sri Lankaness first in our lives.
8 Comments
Oh now here we go, another Donkey insinuating that Murali did not get made the Captain was because of RACE... LOL! Typical... these TAMIL RACISTS will never hesitate to pull the RACE CARD whenever a Tamil does not get his way...
The Reasons Murali did not Make Captain are as follows:
1). He is a Specialist Spin Bowler... and not a Batsman. How can he lead a Team with a Batting Strategy when he is one of the WORST BATSMEN in the team...? Take a look around the world at the captains - most are TOP Batsmen, and some are good all rounders.
2). He's not a charismatic person. Sorry to say, but Murali is not an inspiring presence when it comes to Leadership and he himself acknowledges that. This has nothing to do with him being TAMIL...
3). And last but not least.... He did not want to BE Captain! Do you Get it, you TAMIL RACISTS??? He wanted to focus his skill on being the Best Bowler in the world... If he took up Captaincy his focus would have shifted from concentrating on his specialty into the welfare of the team...
I am one of the many who read Mr Durand Appuhamy's useful and valuable contributions to the National Debate and other matters of public interest. His thoughts here must go far to heal wounds in our continuing painful saga. Murali, happily, has long ago breached the racial divide and is now a recognised hero for the entire country. Let us not beat about the bush here. The talented quickie-batsman Chaminda Vaas was denied both Captaincy and the No.2 spot only because he was a Catholic. Here's hoping Angeo Mathews, in due time, will see his role recognised inspite of our established prejudice in on race and religion in these matters. Sports, after all, is meant to unit and not divide and religion should never have been brought into cricket something for which Arjuna Ranatunga must be blamed.
ISS
ISS, enough of this nonsense. If you can't pull the race card might as well pull the religion card. This drool is boring. Murali never wanted the captaincy, and even if he did he's far too laid back to be captain.
LOL! Chaminda Vaas was NOT Denied any Spot in the Cricket Team due to his Religion....? No one on the Team gives a Damn about the RACE or RELIGION of his Team mates.... if you every played competetive sport you would know that those who are taleneted to be on the team are only concerned with Winning, not Politics and Communalism.
Where do you get these IDIOTIC ASSERTIONS from Senguttavan? You know there is speculation about the Roman Empire's Decline due to mass Lead Poisoning suffered by Rome's ELITE as they all drank Wine from Vats made of Lead... I think you need to check your Piping in Colombo 7.... who knows what sort of DEMENTIA-Causing heavy metals your plumbing system is made of....?
Ilaya seran,
Dont talk nonsense.You are so sick to attribute everything to the race and religion.
Even if a tamil man is kiled by a road accident you will say he died because of discrimination in the following sequance.
1.He was descriminated cos he was a tamil
2.He could not get a proper job
3.He was walking sad at that moment
4.Those vehicles were imported by the GVT who changed the 1972 constitution against the will of the Tamils
Murals was not made captain of the Sri Lankan team is because he was a bowler and not a batsman. That is the only connection he makes between the two. The rest, imagined by the commentators, is in their own minds.
Murals has achieved greatness far beyond the dreams of any other Sri Lankan cricketer. It is for this reason that he is such a revered figure in Sri Lanka. The school which nurtured him and the individuals who groomed him for this later can share his pride.
The usual group of interventionist “friends” have their customary say prejudice-fuelled by their jaundiced knee-jerk reaction.
Vaas’s case was brought up by Mr Appuhamy initially and I added my comments.
Nowhere have I suggested Murali complained of being denied the captaincy – something for which he simply is not up to as many seem to suggest. I agree I am critical of Cricket being turned into a sordid display of religious charade of one particular religion and am glad the Archbishop of Canterbury does not park himself at Heathrow to do a religious service every time the English cricket team goes on tour - to and fro. There is little doubt more Lankans laugh at this charade and do not support this. But which of you “patriots” have the gaul to be openly critical of this enforced religious “observation” as some of us do? Socrates cared two hoots for death-threats and went through the hemlock exercise. Millenia later he stands vindicated, respected and adored
for his altruistic role, if you care to admit. If anyone wants to believe cricketers are not subject to racial and religious politics in the country go right ahead and please yourself to delusions end. If reality is what you are after just have a look at T. Dilshan’s story and you might want to take the nearest 3-wheeler and visit ex-Weslyite and talented all-rounder Mahroof at Dematagoda “advising” him to change his name (Buddhadasa, is one suggestion - if you will) to suit the times to ensure due inclusion and more just treatment in future selections.
Welcome back Devinda from your voluntary RV Winklish stupour or latest bout of rehab. I have sometimes wanted to follow the example of the Shah of Iran and convert my plumbing to gold (the real thing, not plated) to avoid ontamination –but Lalith K has ruined my life and all my clean lucre remains denied to me since December 2008 to the point I have joined a neighbourhood car-pool to move around hither, thither and yon. I appreciate your concern the 150-yr old plumbing set up during the Brit days only ensures a flow of dirty water. Some of my friends suspect the unfinished dengue business could be part of some wise guy’s distorted scheme of rapidly reducing the Colombo population. Water via CMC pipes – contaminated with faeces, urine, metal pieces, other waste and the lot from the Kelani river may be part of the grand scheme.
Come on and wake up, chaps and be rid of your blinkers - I am no more communal/racial or otherwise as everybody else. Wwe are all products of our times, are'nt we?
ISS
Since my comments on July 24 I notice young Mohamed Suraj from Matara - by all accounts an accomplished and talented Cricketer - has found a place in the Lankan test Squad and has fared well against India last week. He now goes as Suraj Randiv bringing validity to the old saying "He who hides well, lives happily" Good for him. Mahroof, are you listening?
ISS