Prime

1981 to 1992  was the prime of my cricket ...
I was 19 plus when I left school ...
Thanks to so many great teachers including Major GWS …
I felt like I was ready to face the next chapter in my life ...
A boy from Mahinda College Galle  
Just trying to enjoy life the best way he could
Not knowing whats ahead ...
 
Trust me ...
I never had any intentions or dreams of playing cricket for my country ...
 
Because I was'nt sure  
What was lined up for me tomorrow ...
 
And I had so many other things to worry about ...
 
So I just wanted to enjoy what ever came my way ...
 
Good or Bad ...
 
To me survival was the name of the game  
Just one Breath at a time ...
 
Anything else was a Bonus ...
That’s the reason why I’m still breathing
I have taken many risks ...
 
So is the game I passionately love and cherish all my life ...
 
Which also gave me  
The Life ...
 
Just One Ball at a Time ...
Every Ball I faced ...
Bowled or Fielded ...
I just wanted to enjoy it to the MAX ...
 
Take it as it comes and stay in control ...
Good or Bad ...
Never worry about the next Ball or the Ball just gone pass ...
 
If I survive to face the next ball ...
It's a Bonus .....
If I survive to take another breath ...
That’s even a greater Bonus ...
 
I always wanted a challenge  
No challenge often I failed ...
 
when there was no challenge ...
Maybe I took things for granted  
If you want to get me out early  
Leave me alone ...
 
If you challenge me sledging or with a barricades of bouncers ...
My softness disappears  
And I shall not give up ...
 
Sometimes I won ...
Sometimes I lost .....
That is the name of the game ...
 
It is all between the Bat n Ball ...
Not Me and You  
Still the same  
Haven't changed much ...
 
I had a struggle  
A big-time struggle ...
From Galle to Colombo
Not known where to go and what to do ...
 
Life was hard at home too ...
Since I lost my father at the age of 13 ...
My beautiful mother ...
Left with 5 kids to feed and educate ...
A huge challenge for a village woman who has  
No Job ...
No Savings ...
No Insurance ...
No Social Security ...
Which is very very common in Sri Lanka ...
So I am used to a hard life ...
 
But this is different  
I was in a place where there is full of strangers ...
 
Not knowing what they want ...
What their next move would be ...
Not even knew what my next move was
And what I really wanted ...
 
I was Just watching and trying to understand ...
At the same time fighting my own issues ...
 
Cricket was the same  
From School Cricket  straight to division one Cricket ...
Division one cricket was so tuff those days ...
 
Since there was no international cricket like now a days ...
All the top players played every single game ...
So every game you play you are up against top class players ...
If you play a top club that could mean you are playing  
against half the Sri Lankan team ...
 
That was the standard then ...
Only 12 Clubs played in the top league ...
 
132 top Players ...
out of them 25 to 30 players from the national pool
and the rest knocking on the door ...
 
Without skills, you wouldn’t survive ...
God knows how many now ...
 
They introduce more clubs to get the VOTES
So the bloody administrators can stay in power for longer
Thanks to the votes from their friendly YES Men ...
That’s one of the main reasons why …
Sri Lanka have a huge gap  between domestic and international ...
 
Mind you ...
In the past we had school cricketers walked in to the national team ...
That was the standard we had ...
 
I was lucky to get a great club to start with ...
Tamil Union Cricket & Athletic Club ...
 
The Colombo Oval  
P Saravanamuttu Stadium …
Where Sri Lanka played its First Ever Test Match from 17th to 21st February 1982 ...
 
Somasundaram Skandakumar .....
Now the Sri Lankan ambassador to Australia ...
 
Also, a great mature captain
A Real Gentleman ...
His guidance was priceless to many young cricketers ...
Specially to me a kid who grew up without a father ...
He was a father brother skipper and a true friend ...
 
I have another father figure My brother AJ ...
will get to him later
"Skanda" as we always call him ...
Was my general manager too  
My first Job was at George Stuart & Company as an Imports Clerk ...
 
Being the General Manager
Skanda still comes and pick me up from my department and take me for training ...
Train with me and drop me home with so many other players who didn’t have transport ...
 
Mind you we did not live close to each other ...
He sometimes drives for hours to drop each one us at our door steps and then goes home …
 
After training his little Austin was always packed …
 
Not only that …
He often fed all of us after training too ...
We didn’t have much access to good food cause we mostly had takeaway ...
Such a humble and thoughtful Gentleman ...
 
Nothing came easy my friend N-o-t-h-i-n-g ...
 
Not only for me …  
There were many other top cricketers who were in the same boat with me ...
 
THIS IS TO YOU ...
 
All you gentlemen were good enough to play in the highest league
Or should have got more internationals under your belts ...
 
But dirty Politics in Sri Lankan Cricket Kept you away from it …
You gentlemen haven’t done anything wrong except for scoring loads of runs ...
taking too many wickets or both ...
I know you are out there I can even see some faces while I’m writing now ...
 
Sorry for not mentioning any names cause I don’t want to miss any ...
most of you are in my friend list ...
 
But you can walk on the streets any time with your heads high ...
I loved your do or die attitudes and did enjoy playing with you or against you …
Cause you played the game hard and fair with lots of flair ...
 
You were the bunch who played the game for love and passion ...
but not for money ...
 
We built our life long friendships on trust and respect ...
Hats off to each one of you out there ...
You Got My Highest Regards ...
 
R-E-S-P-E-C-T