On top – on and off the field

Who play matches during the ‘vassana’ season? This was the pithy remark by a cricket fan feeling disappointed that one semifinal and the final of the SLPL were washed out and fans missed all the fun and thrills.

Traditionally Buddhist monks treat the three month period from August to October as the ‘vas’ – rainy – season and as the Buddha had declared, monks are expected to spend their time in one place. Their movements are restricted during this period. Of course, one can argue that weather patterns have drastically changed and it is difficult to forecast nowadays.

Leaving that aside, SLPL has succeeded as a talent search effort with some of the new players making their presence felt. Leading the pack were Dilshan Munaweera and Akila Dhannajaya. A few seniors like Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera too fared well.

Yet there was one player who in spite being out of action in the middle certainly caught everyone’s attention. Sidelined due to a fractured finger, Kumar Sangakkara, in a new role as commentator was very impressive. For those of us who are not too bothered about cricket jargon, Kumar was just fine. He didn’t try to be a ‘pandithaya,’ but did his job admirably. It was a pleasure to listen to the duo Kumar and Russel Arnold together.

Hot on the heels of his new role came the news that at the annual CEAT-SLC Cricket Awards, Kumar is to be rewarded for a prolific year in both Tests and ODIs, winning the award for Cricketer of the Year. He has also been chosen as Best Test Batsman and People’s Player of the Year.

Apart from the commentaries, Kumar stood out at least twice as an intelligent speaker during the SLPL. First was when he represented MCC at the first press conference held to launch the SLPL. He was lucid in explaining what the MCC spirit of cricket meant. Incidentally, he is a MCC World Cricket committee member.

The second occasion was at the impressive opening ceremony when he cleverly reminded Brian Lara of how he was ‘treated’ in Sri Lanka.

Ever since Kumar impressed with his oratory and subject matter at the MCC Colin Cowdrey lecture last year, his stocks went up. He received a standing ovation for his stirring, eloquent speech touching upon the 2009 terrorist attack against the team in Pakistan, governance of the game in Sri Lanka, and the passion with which the game is followed by Sri Lankans. He also expressed a desire for change for the administrative structure in Sri Lanka cricket.

Apart from being the first Sri Lankan to deliver the prestigious lecture, he was also the first current international player to make the address. Then 33, Kumar succeeded another wicket-keeper, Australia’s Adam Gilchrist, as the youngest to deliver the lecture.

In ICC awards line-up

Apart from the SLPL, Kumar has been in the news over the past few weeks. He is one of the six players who have been nominated in three different categories for the ICC Awards 2012. The ICC Cricketer of the Year, for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year are the three categories.

Kumar is also in the running for the LG People’s Choice Award to be chosen by cricket fans around the world that have got a chance to vote for their favourite player online from a shortlist of five cricketers. He won this award last year.

Incidentally, the ICC Awards 2012 are being held in Colombo on the 15th.