UNITED WE STAND
DIVIDED WE FALL
Gutted. This is how a nation of 22 million inhabitants and some three million Sri Lankans living overseas (bar infants and not many others who aren’t cricket fans) felt when we were bundled out of the T20 World Cup ahead of the second round on 17 June.
High hopes of being among the dark horses to stake a claim to lift a trophy that we won a decade ago, back in those halcyon days, were dashed prematurely – and the national squad returned to our rainy shores a few days later to face a barrage of questions and condemnation from the media… and irate fans.
At the centre of the storm was Sri Lanka’s recently appointed skipper – the talented and youthful Wanindu Hasaranga, who happens to be ranked among the leading T20 bowlers and all-rounders by no less than the International Cricket Council (ICC).
That his fledgling career as captain of the T20 squad (a 60% win record over just 10 T20 internationals) is only second to the legendary Mahela Jayawardene (63% in 19 matches) didn’t matter; nor did the comparison with his predecessor Dasun Shanaka (45% in as many as 48 games).
Hordes of keyboard warriors took to social media in a distasteful frenzy with all but any constructive and justifiable criticism.
Personal attacks that only exposed their crude and divisive traits were the order of the day as every word the 26-year-old uttered was vilified to such a degree that one wondered whether this was a politically motivated vendetta or simply envy: that as arguably Sri Lanka’s number one white ball cricketer, he is deservedly earning big bucks that the rest of us would take decades if not a lifetime to rack up.
And with the election season in full swing, we are witnessing similar traits among hundreds of thousands would-be voters who seem to have a penchant for emulating the politicians they’re likely to vote for!
That the politicking among the hoi polloi apparently extends beyond our shores to the diaspora only adds fuel to the fire.
The hope therefore, is that sanity will prevail in this watershed year, be it on the green ovals or campaign platforms… and beyond.
It’s in your hands.