Heroes Stand On Their Feet; Not Beg On Their Knees

By Gamini Weerakoon

(May 24, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) These are times when heroes of this land keep falling off their pedestals with increasing regularity. Sanath Jayasuriya, one time hero to millions of cricket fans in Sri Lanka and the cricketing world is now swaying on his podium with many Sri Lankan critics baying for his blood while there are many defenders, most of whom are doing so, not for Jayasuriya’s benefit or cricket, but for bumming their political masters.

The rain-gods last week appeared to favour the well-known fallen hero General Sarath Fonseka, who would have been compelled to listen to the echoes of his former military bands from his place of imprisonment as they paraded on Galle Face Green to celebrate the great military victory for which he and his soldiers were largely responsible.

Deeply disappointing as it would have been to the soldiers and others responsible for the victory for the postponement of the parade, there did appear to be a sense of poetic justice over the weather gods pouring bucketsful from the skies. It would have been even as paradoxical as ‘staging Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark’ with General Fonseka in a prison and his soldiers on a victory parade.

Jayasuriya, however, cannot be taken off his pedestal easily. He was placed there by well-known authorities of international cricket and not by a biased media or political grandees.

During Jayasuriya’s heyday it were the politicians who wanted to bask in his limelight and not vice-versa. Unfortunately, he now appears to be on the life-support system of the Rajapaksa government.

Mob of pundits

Today a huge mob of cricketing pundits are baying for his blood while another mob of defenders are going to Jayasuriya’s rescue — not in his interest or that of the game, but in the belief that it would be profitable for their political bumming.

How did this cricketing genius who emerged from the backwoods of Matara and carved for himself a niche in the international world of cricket, get into such a mess?

Basic fault

The basic fault with Jayasuriya is common to all Sri Lankans: we don’t know when to call it a day and retire from our professions when the time comes. There are professions where practitioners can go on till it is time to depart to another world. Lawyers have no age of retirement and can go on till they drop dead or as long as gullible clients place their trust in them. With inflation spiralling every year, even other professionals who have earned much more than the expected packet, tend to go on as ‘consultants’.

The new Rajapaksa government is now in the process of appointing their favourites from the public sector into key posts in the state and public corporations where the state holds the majority of shares. Most of them are well beyond the statutory retirement age of 55 years. Some in the private sector continue to hold on to their key posts while not being averse to holding posts not only for thatvaya, but also for a princely salary even though they lack basic educational qualifications required for the posts.

Sanath can’t resist temptation

Sanath Jayasuriya is very much Sri Lankan like all of us. Thus, when political patronage is extended generously — it also appears to be forced on him — the temptation to stay on is only natural. While old political hacks even in their late 70s continue to carry on, Jayasuriya would only be thinking why he can’t go on for a few more years and earn a few more millions. He is also a very confident person.

If not, he would not have been able to reach the heights he has scaled. Like most people, he may be thinking that others may grow old but not him. But quite often the realisation of aging comes only when muscles fail to respond as fast as they did and reflex actions are delayed. Since we are no cricketing or medical pundits, we leave it to these professionals to say when the age of retirement of a cricketer should be.

Whether Jayasuriya continues to play for Sri Lanka or retire from the game should be left to Jayasuriya and the selectors. Our main objective in writing this article is to stress that he and many others who have quite rightly been recognised as national heroes should not be abused and disgraced or denigrated.

Arjuna as hero

There is another great cricket hero, now no longer remembered for his heroism and achievements in cricket and is in fact abused by political nincompoops because he had the guts to go against the ruling clan of the Rajapaksas. Arjuna Ranatunga, it need be hardly stressed, took Sri Lanka to the highest ever in the cricketing pinnacle of the world when he as captain won the World Cup in 1996, beating one of the mightiest of Australian teams.

His achievement went far beyond the game itself. The diminutive captain went on to challenge the Australian umpires before a packed, hostile Melbourne cricket ground and even threatened to walk out if the umpire continued to no ball Muttiah Muralitharan. At the end of it all, Muralitharan was vindicated. A short time later, Ranatunga led his team to win the World Cup.

It took a hell of a lot of guts, determination and clear thinking for this unique achievement by a team that was considered the ‘minnows in international cricket’ at that time. Ranatunga’s greatness was that he did not cow-tow to leading politicians at that time. Even though he entered politics and contested and won the Kotte seat, he did not go on bended knee to then President, Chandrika Kumaratunga. Soon he was taking on the mighty lady herself.

Contrary to the political mood of today, with members of most parties attempting to pole vault, long or hop-step-and-jump, or like the indigenous tree frogs (Gus Gembas) — jump from one party to the other and back again to the same party — Ranatunga has stood firm against the political-military juggernaut of the Rajapaksas and is fearlessly backing General Sarath Fonseka to the hilt. Here we find a rare Sri Lankan, who has preferred to stand on his feet rather than live comfortably on bended knee to the powers that be, which are demanding obeisance and expect potential beneficiaries to pick up fallen crumbs from the high table.

We have in the past in other journals, been severely critical of Ranatunga, particularly after the World Cup victory for his overbearing attitude as captain and his role in Sri Lankan cricket administration. But his independence and daring both as a cricket captain and now as a politician, has brought out qualities extremely rare for a Sri Lankan politician. We still do not go along with his politics or his ideology.

But let us give honour where honour is due and prevent throwing mud at a true hero like him and Gen. Sarath Fonseka who act sheerly on their own convictions and not for material or political gain. Sri Lanka needs such heroes.